Nobody's Fool
by prsweetie
Summary: Who knew befriending a medical student 7 years ago would come back to bite Marissa? Now she's in Charming after losing everything and demanding answers. Set during Season One. Tara/OC friendship, Happy/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Starting two stories in two days was not on my agenda but this idea would not leave me alone. As always, I only own the OC's.

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><p>Marissa Ramirez was pissed as she navigated her rental towards Saint Thomas Hospital. She was going to kill Tara, she swore. Pulling into the hospital parking lot, she took one last drag of her cigarette before putting it out. Stepping out of the car, Marissa grabbed her purse and stalked towards the doors, daring anyone to stand in her way. She reached the front desk and ignored the catcalls from some bikers a few feet away.<p>

"Do you know where I can find Dr. Tara Knowles?" She asked the front desk clerk. Before the young woman could answer, an older woman with a short hair cut and glasses responded.

"What is your business with Dr. Knowles?"

"None of yours. Look lady, I have had a very rough couple of weeks and the last thing I need to deal with is some stuck up bitch that is way too nosey for her own good. Do you know where Tara is or not?" The woman looked stunned before telling her that Tara could probably be found in the cafeteria. Marissa nodded before walking down the hallway. Pushing up the doors to the room that said cafeteria, her hazel eyes scanned the room before she found Tara sitting with an older women and a blonde man.

Tara looked up as Marissa made her way over towards the group. She immediately stood up and a smile graced the doctor's face.

"Rissa!" She exclaimed but she halted in her approach to give the woman a hug when Marissa shook her head and held up her hand.

"Don't 'Rissa' me. Do you mind explaining to me why the hell some bitch named Stahl shut down my damn bar?" She heard the man sitting down suck in an angry breath but she was too pissed to care.

"She did what? Marissa, I had no idea." Tara was genuinely confused. Why would Stahl go after Marissa?

"Really? Because she said and I quote, 'You can thank Dr. Knowles for this' I'm assuming this shit has to do with Josh."

"Hey don't be so loud with that shit." The man demanded. Marissa finally took the time to look at the other two people sitting at the table. She noticed the chin length hair and blue eyes and was able to put the pieces together.

"You must be Jax." She shook the man's hand and quirked an eyebrow at Tara. "Okay, I get it now." Jax looked confused as the two women shared a knowing grin. She looked over at the woman who seemed to be throwing daggers at her. It didn't take a genius for Marissa to figure out this was the all-knowing Head Bitch in Charge around here. She introduced herself to Gemma who didn't even crack a smile, just continued to stare. If she thought she was rattling Marissa's cage, then she had the woman confused. Turning back towards Tara, she rubbed her forehead before placing her hand on her hip.

"Tara, we talked about everything and you forgot to mention that the ATF has a hard on for you? Damn it, if I had known I could have at least been prepared. I poured everything into that bar and now I'm left with nothing."

Tara had met Marissa two weeks after going to Chicago to start medical school. The young doctor to be was walking along the campus when she saw Marissa posting up a flyer looking for a roommate. The young Puerto Rican was unlike anyone that she had every met before. She was loud, opinionated and feared very little. Marissa took an instant liking to Tara and offered her the room. They instantly clicked and spent many nights trying out Marissa's latest drink concoctions and sharing stories of love, life and pain.

When Tara got involved with Josh Kohn, Marissa had been against it but she understood Tara's need to date the man. Tara was looking for the anti-Jax: a good boy with a 9-5 and a 401k. When Marissa had finally saved up enough money to open up "Escape Reality", her dream dive bar, the time that Marissa and Tara spent together was lessened. Most of it was due to both being busy in their respective fields, but another reason was that Josh didn't like Marissa and she was more than happy to hate him back. One night Tara came home with a black eye and it took everything in Marissa's power to not castrate the man.

She encouraged Tara's return to Charming, knowing that she needed to get away from Josh because his pull in the legal system wasn't going to be able to keep her safe. She knew that Tara had never gotten over Jax and she knew that despite whatever happened between the two, he would find a way to keep her safe. She tearfully hugged her best friend goodbye at the airport and wished her the best.

They kept in constant contact, through various forms of technology. Marissa knew all about the MC, Gemma, Wendy, Abel and Jax. She knew about Josh returning and Jax "handling" things once and for all. Even though Marissa had never met Jax, she was immediately grateful for what he had done. Tara sounded more and more lonely through each passing conversation and if Marissa was honest, she missed her friend too.

"Escape Reality" had been open for 4 years and was Marissa's baby. It was a dive bar that did very well. She hit the market for those people that didn't want to dress up and go to some stuck-up lounge or overcrowded club. She had finally gotten to a point where she was able to hire more staff and take some of the workload off her and that's when shit hit the fan.

"How bad is it?" Tara asked as her eyes showed worry for her friend.

"That bitch has me tangled in so much legal mumbo bullshit, even if I was to get the bar back, I would be waist deep in debt."

"Can't Nick help you?" Marissa let out a snort.

"I'm not exactly his favorite person right now. Let's face it: a bartender and a lawyer made as much sense as…..well as a biker bitch and an ATF agent." Marissa let a smile reach her lips but sighed when Tara looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Long story short, he was tapping his assistant, so I tapped his jaw with my fist."

"I'm sorry, Ris. So why didn't you just call me?" Marissa sighed.

"I didn't think you would be able to convey my anger over the phone. Besides it's not like I had shit else to do, so why not stop through Mayberry? And I guess, I sort of missed your boney ass." Tara smiled big; Jax thought her face would crack as she pulled the other woman in for a hug. Jax was amused by the sudden change in Tara. Ever since she came back, she had always been so damn serious. Not that he could blame her because of the shit that was going on, but he was starting to see signs of the carefree teenage Tara that he fell in love with.

As they pulled away from each, Jax noticed his brothers walk into the cafeteria. Tig quickly walked up to the new woman and smacked her hard on the ass, much to the amusement of the guys.

"Well hey there sweet cheeks." Marissa whirled around and looked at the guy with the curly black hair and crazy blue eyes. She put a smirk on her face and stepped closer to the older man.

"Hey asshole, if you put your hands on my ass again without me giving your permission, I will crack one of your nuts: left or right, your choice." Tig's eyes darkened and he went to move towards Marissa but Jax quickly stood between the two.

"Chill, bro. She's not a crow eater; she's an old friend of Tara's." Tig stopped moving but the glare never left his face. Tara quickly introduced her to the many men but Marissa couldn't be bothered to care. She turned towards Tara when she heard her name.

"Where's your stuff?"

"In the trunk of a Ford Focus."

"You didn't bring 'The Coyote'?" Marissa shook her head, but the man she remembered as Clay spoke up.

"Coyote?" Marissa simply pulled out her cell phone and scrolled down to the picture of her prized 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. The boys took turns looking at the picture and gawking over the green beauty. Marissa turned towards Tara.

"So where can a girl go to get a drink around here?"

"Why don't you bring her back to the clubhouse, babe? That way I can fill everyone in on what's going on?" Tara nodded her head.

"My shift is over anyway. Let me just change my clothes." She kissed Jax and hugged Marissa. "I'm sorry about the shit coming to your door step but I'm really glad you're here."


	2. Chapter 2

Stepping out of her car, Marissa stepped back as the multiple motorcycles pulled up and lined themselves in a row to park. She raised an eyebrow as Tara got out of her car with Gemma.

"A Cutlass?" Tara shrugged.

"My Dad's." Marissa nodded her head in recognition. She followed everyone into the front doors of the clubhouse. She couldn't stop her face from scrunching up once she walked inside and the smell assaulted her.

"Jesus Christ, do you guys ever crack a window in this place?"

"This smell is never going to go away." Bobby quipped with a sort of pride in his voice.

"Maybe you should tell them bitches to invest in some Summer's Eve." Marissa looked up surprised as the bark of laughter came from Gemma, the first sign of life she had seen in the older woman since meeting her.

"Hey Ris, do you think you can make some Dirty Chicas?"

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" Marissa asked knowing what the drinks could do to the pair. When Tara shook her head no, Marissa shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, is it okay if I use your bar?" She asked Clay. Amazingly enough, she had heard so many stories about SAMCRO from Tara that Marissa felt like she knew all of them.

"No problem doll. Hey, Half Sack, help the girl out with anything she needs."

"Half-Sack?" Marissa couldn't help but ask the younger man who blushed under her stare.

"It's a long story."

"Please tell me it doesn't involve a pissed off woman and a knife."

"Nah more like a bomb overseas." Marissa simply nodded her head as she peeled off her leather jacket and started to move behind the bar to get everything she would need. Everyone stopped to stare at the muscle definition in her arms.

"Are you still training?" Marissa shook her head and turned back towards Tara as everyone seemed to crowd the bar.

"Not as much as I would like to. Some crazy shit was going on for awhile so I had to put it on the backburner." She noticed the questioning look in everyone's eyes. "I was doing some MMA training back in Chicago." She turned back to Tara who asked another question.

"How are you doing financially?" Marissa leaned back before answering.

"I have enough in the account to keep me from being evicted for a few months. I guess if shit goes real bad, I can always make a call and use the money that Dante left me if those ATF assholes don't find out about it." A flicker of sadness appeared in her eyes when she mentioned the man, but it was gone just as quickly as it came.

"So you said things ended between you and Nick, are you seeing anyone?" Marissa grabbed a couple of glasses and started cleaning them while answering.

"As a matter of fact, Bob and I are getting pretty serious, I'm actually considering proposing to him since things are going so well." Tara couldn't stop the giggle that escaped from her lips. Gemma spoke up.

"What's so funny? Who's Bob?"

"My Battery Operated Boyfriend." She winked towards Chibs as everyone laughed at the lack of filter this young woman had. Juice looked up towards the TV monitors.

"Hey, it looks like Koz and Hap just pulled up."

"Good, we'll have Church real quick before we take a ride." Clay ordered. Marissa turned her back towards everyone as she started mixing drinks. She missed the appearance of Happy and Koz. By the time she looked up, the double doors had closed and she turned to Gemma.

"Would you like a Dirty Chica, Gemma?" Marissa asked trying to crack the woman's shell, if even for a little bit.

"Is it good?" At Tara's nod, Gemma responded. "Sure, what the hell?" Marissa poured three generous amounts of the deep red concoction and toasted to the two ladies. She couldn't help but smile as both women praised the drink and she quickly whipped another batch for later as well as something else for later. It only took about 20 minutes for the men to come out of the room. She watched Clay kiss Gemma and Jax do the same for Tara before informing Half-Sack to watch after the ladies. Before they walked out of the door, Marissa called Tig over. Everyone stopped and stared, remembering the incident back at the hospital.

"What?" Tig replied as Marissa grabbed two large shot glasses and poured a green liquid into each glass. "What the hell is this?"

"A peace offering." The last thing Marissa needed to do was make enemies with people that Tara needed to protect her. Besides, Tig may seem bat-shit crazy but there was something else about him that intrigued Marissa. "It's called 'A Trip to OZ'" She clinked her glass with Tig and they each drowned their respective shots. Tig placed the shot glass back on the bar.

"If you keep making drinks like this, I might just forgive you for calling me an asshole."

"You keep complimenting my drinks; I might just let you smack my ass again." Tig laughed as the men finally walked out the door.

About an hour later, Gemma announced that she was leaving to go check on Unser and then head home. She demanded that Marissa attend family dinner on Sunday and advised her to bring a plate. As Tara and Marissa watched her walk her out of the door, Marissa couldn't stop shaking her head.

"She may be a frigid bitch, but damn I would kill for her wardrobe." Tara smirked.

"She invited you to family dinner; she's warming up to you."

"Either that or she plans on sticking a apple in my mouth and serving me on a plate." She laughed as she walked around the bar and put her arms around Tara. "Come on girlie, let's catch up."

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><p>3 hours later, the guys finally came back from their deal with Niners. They walked up towards Half Sack who was laughing to himself. They could hear the loud bass of music coming from the inside as if there was a Friday night party going on even though the boys had canceled the party due to recent events.<p>

"What the hell?" Bobby asked. Half Sack turned towards Jax, still laughing.

"I have to say, Jax, I have never seen this side of your Old Lady before." Jax glared before all the men walked inside the clubhouse and instantly stopped in their tracks. Standing on top of a pool table, without a care in the world, was Tara and Marissa singing at the top of their lungs to Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats."

Jax took in the relaxed look on Tara's face as she had a drink in one hand and was laughing through singing. Her dark hair was swaying and she seemed to be having the time of her life. Jax didn't know what Marissa did to bring out this side of Tara, but he was damn thankful for the woman.

Happy, on the other hand, couldn't keep his eyes off the woman who Tig dubbed "The Hurricane." He had heard about her in Church and even got a quick glance at her before they had left but now he got a full view of her and he definitely liked what he saw. He dark brown curls fell down the middle of her back and her big hazel eyes were filled with mischief. When the song ended and the beat of the next one started, the boys looked on with amusement as both girls screamed with delight before quickly starting to shake their asses.

When she turned around to give them a full view, Happy couldn't help his eyes from darkening as she shook her hips better then Shakira ever could. He turned to Jax to see the same look of lust aimed towards Tara. The men all stood back and enjoyed the free show before Tara finally noticed them and waved. Opie walked towards the stereo and turned it down while Jax and Juice helped the ladies off the pool table and they headed towards the couch and sat down laughing. The guys all grabbed a drink and laughed amongst themselves.

"Enjoying yourself ladies?" Piney asked. The girls merely nodded their heads while trying to catch their breath.

"Oh God, that brings back so many memories." The girls looked at each and instantly screamed, "REEEEMIIXXXX" before falling into a fit of giggles all over again.

"What the hell is in those drinks?" Chibs asked he took a sniff of Marissa's drink. Everyone could do nothing but laugh for the next two hours at the female's antics which were more than a little amusing.

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><p>Marissa opened her eyes and instantly regretted it. The pounding in her head made her wish for a bullet to put her out of her misery. Her eyes adjusted to the surroundings and she realized she was in a room laying down a bed. When she went to move, she felt an arm wrapped around her shoulders and she immediately sobered up. She sent a quick prayer that she had not fucked one of the bikers last night, but she felt the jeans on her legs and doubted that she would have still been dressed. She threw caution to the wind and glanced behind her to see Tara lying in bed with her, mouth open as soft snores escaped her throat.<p>

Marissa couldn't help but laugh. How many times did these two end up in this position after a night of drinking? She carefully got off the bed, sure not to wake Tara and grabbed her purse off the dresser. Opening the door, the smell let her know that she was still in the clubhouse. Not giving a damn how she looked, she made her way downstairs in order to grab her duffel bag out the car and find out where she could take a much needed shower. She was half way past the bar when someone's voice made her jump.

"Did anyone tell you that you look like a hot female version of Slash after a night of drinking?" She glared at Tig as he stared at the massive amount of frizz and curls on top of her head.

"Did anyone tell you it's too fucking early in the morning to be so damn loud?" She could smell coffee and her eyes instantly started looking for it.

"Coffee will be done soon." Marissa nodded as she plopped onto the couch and grabbed a cigarette out of her purse. She opened her eyes when she heard her name being damned to all hell.

"God, I fucking hate you." Tara moaned as she came downstairs and laid her head in Marissa's lap while stretching out. Marissa couldn't stop the laugh even though it killed her head.

"You asked for it. Although I'm glad to know all those dancing lessons that we had in the living room wasn't wasted."

"GOOD MORNING LADIES." Jax yelled as each woman groaned before Marissa threw her lighter at him. Jax told Half Sack to pour each of them a cup of coffee. Half Sack brought over the two mugs along with creamer and sugar. Marissa instantly perked up and quickly made her coffee the way she preferred it. Tara nudged her knee with her hand.

"So what are we doing today?" Marissa took a long drink of the warm liquid before answering.

"Well, I guess I need to find a hotel to stay at and a grocery store since Mother Hen has demanded to see me tomorrow night."

"No way are you staying at a hotel. You are staying with us." Marissa raised her eyebrow. "I'm staying with Jax now that Abel has come home."

"What about your dad's place?"

"I haven't decided what I am doing with it yet. It's still filled to the ceiling with crap that I have yet to go through." The pair continued to talk until Marissa finally decided that she couldn't stand the smell of herself any longer and announced she needed a shower.

An hour later, she ran down the steps feeling like a new person. Her hair was pulled back into a thick ponytail and she was dressed causally in a tank top, ripped jeans and boots. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of a man standing by the bar talking to Tig and Bobby. She felt Tara's hand as she came up behind her.

"Who is that?" Marissa asked. "I have heard about damn near everyone in this town and you never mentioned anyone that was tall, bald and fine."

"That's Happy." Tara noticed the look in Marissa's eyes and quickly made the woman face her. "I don't know much about him, but from what I do know, he makes Tig seem like a playful puppy." Marissa placed a smile on her face.

"So he's trouble, huh? Come on, Tara, you know that's my favorite kind of man." Tara could do nothing but shake her head as Marissa made her way over to the bar.

"Hey boys." Marissa announced before turning towards Happy and extended her hand. "I haven't met you yet. I'm Marissa, Tara's friend." Happy stared at her before slowly grabbing her hand.

"Happy." He nodded but didn't say anything else. Marissa couldn't help but wonder if that voice came from a rough night or if he always sounded like this.

"Rissa, why don't you follow me back to the house? I have to relieve Neeta anyway." Marissa waved goodbye before following Jax and Tara out.


	3. Chapter 3

Marissa sat at Tara and Jax's kitchen table after getting the grand tour of the cute home. Tara offered Marissa the couch, although she was apologetic about it. Marissa just waved her off, reminding Tara that she was only 5'2 so it wasn't like she needed a whole lot of room. She stood up when the coffee was done and opened a drawer looking for a spoon.

"Hey." Tara said as she and Jax walked into the kitchen. Marissa turned and nodded towards the open drawer.

"I see you finally took my advice and got yourself something without any serial numbers. Good girl." Tara blushed under the praise and took a seat on Jax's lap at the table. Once Marissa joined them, Tara looked at her friend.

"Have you given any thought to what you are going to do now?" Tara still couldn't stop the guilt from attacking her body at the thought of her best friend losing her livelihood thanks to her.

"Not really. That bar had been my dream for so damn long that I never even thought to get a Plan B. Tara, I know that I was all sorts of pissed off when I came here yesterday and I still am. But I need you to know that I don't blame you for this happening. So I need you to stop feeling guilty and worrying about me, I will be fine. I always find a way to bounce back from shit." Tara eye's welled up with her friend's words and she grabbed Marissa's free hand and squeezed. Everyone looked up as Gemma came walking into the kitchen.

"Oh good you're here." Everyone seemed shocked that she was directing that towards Marissa. Marissa simply sat back in her chair and stared. "Clay needs your help tonight. They are having their weekly fuck and chuck parties and Clay wanted to know if you would be willing to bartend at the clubhouse tonight."

"Uh, sure I don't see why not." Tara shook her head from her spot on Jax's lap.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I have to be at work tomorrow at 6 in the morning and I don't want Marissa hanging out there by herself." Gemma scoffed.

"What? She can't handle herself without you there? Cause she seemed to be all mouth and sass last night, or was that just a one time thing?" Marissa knew exactly what Gemma was doing: between the dinner and now this, she was testing Marissa and she welcomed the challenge.

"Don't worry, Tara. I'll be just fine." Gemma nodded. "Can I use the kitchen there to get a head start on my dish for tomorrow?"

"That should be fine. Clean up after yourself and don't let them crow eaters walk all over you. I'm going to go see my grandson." With that, Gemma was gone just as quickly as she walked in. Marissa couldn't help but think that woman was definitely one of a kind. Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. Looking at the caller, Marissa excused herself and walked outside.

Tara moved from Jax's lap and stood at the sink staring out the window. Jax noticed the frown on his lover's face and tried to ease her fears.

"Babe, don't worry about Marissa. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for her." Tara just shook her head and blinked back the tears.

"It's not that."

"Well then what the hell is wrong?" Jax was trying to get better at figuring out women. He didn't have this problem with the sweet butts or even his ex-wife, but Tara was a woman who didn't fit under either category of the former.

"I just….I've really missed her, Jax. Last night was the first night that I felt like myself since I came back to Charming. I wasn't Dr. Knowles, or Jax's Old Lady; I was just Tara. Tara who could drink, laugh and be silly with her best friend. I've missed our friendship. She was my best friend, Jax. The one that got me through so much shit the past seven years when I had no one else to turn to. I know that it sounds really selfish, but I don't want her to leave. I'm tired of being alone. I know that I have you and Gemma has finally stopped looking at me like the fucking Anti-Christ, but it's not enough sometimes." Tara sighed as she turned back towards the window.

Even Jax had to admit, seeing this side of Tara the past twenty-four hours had been refreshing. He saw that Marissa brought out another side of Tara and he felt bad that she was already mourning her friend's departure before it happened. Jax knew that he expected a lot of Tara, as part of her commitments to being an Old Lady, but he never stopped to think about what kind of life she made for herself when he wasn't apart of it. He stood up and placed a kiss on the nape of Tara's neck.

Marissa poked her head in the doorway. "I'm headed to the grocery store. Do you guys need anything?" They both shook her head and Marissa prepared to leave when Tara called her name.

"How long are you planning on staying in town?" Marissa thought about for a minute.

"I guess I can stay for another two weeks or so before I have to head back." She smiled as she left, but all Tara and Jax could think was that they had two weeks to convince Marissa to stay.

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><p>Happy walked outside the hardware store after placing an order for Clay. He headed towards his bike when he saw a silver Ford Focus pull into the parking lot of the grocery store across the street. He watched as Marissa stepped out with a cell phone attached to her ear and a pissed off look on her face. She stood for a few minutes with her hand on her hip before she shoved the phone back in her bag and started walking towards the store.<p>

Happy swore the sway of hips must have some special powers because before he could stop himself, he was walking across the street and following her. She was easy to spot standing in an aisle searching for something that didn't seem to exist.

"Diablo!" Marissa cursed and Happy walked a little closer.

"Looking for something?" He watched Marissa turn to face before answering his question.

"I know that this isn't a store in the city, but how can there not be one Goya product in the whole damn place?" Marissa had decided that she was going to make a big pot of arroz con pollo for dinner tomorrow and considering that Stop and Shop in good old Charming only believed that ethnic food consisted of soy sauce, she was back to square one on what the hell she could make.

Happy couldn't help but smirk at her frustration. She was gorgeous, it seemed even more so when she was pissed. "I know of a place where you can get what you need, it's about 15 minutes away from here." Marissa stared at him silently loving the fact that his raspy voice did seem to be a normal thing as opposed to a lack of sleep.

"That would be great. You mind pointing me in the right direction."

"I'll drive you over there." Instead of being shocked or overanalyzing the situation, Marissa simply followed him outside and started to walk towards her rental.

"No way in hell. You are not killing my reputation by having me get in that car."

"Well then what the hell are we going to take?" Happy pointed across the street towards his Harley.

"Don't tell me that my big, bad bike scares you?" Just the opposite in fact, Marissa had been dying to get on the back of one of the guys motorcycles since she saw them. She hadn't been on one in years and she missed it like hell.

"Hardly, I am just trying to figure out where everything is going to go."

"Unless you plan on buying the whole damn store we should be alright." She followed wordlessly as Happy handed her a helmet. When she climbed on the back of the bike, she situated herself and took a firm grip around his waist. Happy couldn't help but be turned on by her breasts touching his back. As he pulled onto the street, he felt Marissa relax and her head leaned on his shoulder. He couldn't help but to smile.

"So how do you know about this?" Marissa asked as Happy directed her to a Selecto grocery store. He placed his hand on the small of her back as he glared at some of the looks she was receiving from the men around her.

"My mother's Dominican." Happy answered as she grabbed a cart and walked inside the store. She easily found what she needed and figured the other shit she could get from the store back in Charming. She quickly paid for her groceries and looked up shocked, when Happy grabbed her bag. He was certainly full of surprises.

"I was taught manners." Happy stated at the look on her face. She slapped him playfully on his arm as the pair headed back towards the bike. Marissa stopped as she saw a group of young girls selling Girl Scout cookies. She bought two boxes and Happy watched as she made small conversation with the girls before turning back towards him with a smile on her face.

"Alright, misterioso let's head back."

* * *

><p>Marissa walked back into Jax and Tara's. She leaned against the doorframe of the living room as she watched the pair on the couch. Tara was feeding Abel and Jax was simply staring at Tara. They both looked up as they saw a flash.<p>

"Sorry, I couldn't resist taking a picture. It was too damn cute." Marissa walked in the living room and sat in the chair pulling her legs up Indian style. "Looks like you did good, chica. You are a doctor, with the man and the baby. All you need is the white picket fence and your American dream will be complete." Tara laughed softly.

"Yeah, with a few notable exceptions. What took you so long? Did you get lost?"

"Nah, I ended up having to go to another grocery store to get what I needed to make arroz con pollo."

"Where did you find a store?" Marissa ran a hand over her leg before answering, knowing what her best friend response was going to be.

"Actually, Happy took me."

"Happy?" Both Tara and Jax exclaimed.

"Is there a goddamn echo in here? Yes, Happy. He saw me at the store and offered to take me to one in another town to get what I needed. What is with the shocked faces?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that as long have known Happy, I have yet to hear him saying anything that wasn't monosyllabic." Tara said both shocked and intrigued by the latest revelation. Marissa merely shrugged.

"What can I say? It must be my winning personality. Either that or my ass cause the man couldn't stop staring at it. Alrighty lovebirds, I'm going to head in the shower. I wanna get to the clubhouse to clean and set up the bar the way I like it." She left Jax and Tara staring at each in amazement.

"So what do you think? Do I look like a bartender for a motorcycle club?" Marissa asked, walking into Abel's room and doing a spin. She had on a pair of dark denim shorts, white tank and plaid shirt that was open. On her feet were her favorite pair of black boots, that Tara swore the girl had for as long as they have know each other. Her hair was down and the curls falling down her back. Her eye makeup was heavy but her lips were nude.

"Damn girl, you will fit right in." The girls laughed as Marissa placed a small kiss on Abel's cheek as he was being held in Tara's arms staring at the new woman with awe.

"As long as I'm not mistaken for a crow eater….what the hell is that by the way?"

"The porn stars and cock sucking whores that hang around the clubhouse for attention."

"Thirsty bitches, I can't wait." Marissa exclaimed before kissing Tara's cheek and promising that if anyone messed with her, she would tell Jax. Climbing into the car, she couldn't stop feeling like this night was going to be one to remember.


	4. Chapter 4

Marissa struggled to open the clubhouse doors while carrying numerous bags in her hand. She let out a frustrated sigh as the doors finally opened, almost causing her to lose her balance.

"Hurricane! Heard you would be bartending tonight." Marissa found it hard to smile at Tig as she was still trying to not drop anything. "PROSPECT, get over here and grab some bags." Marissa watched as Half-Sack rushed over and grabbed a few bags while giving her a small smile.

"Wouldn't it have been easier for YOU to help me?"

"Probably, but it's not my job. What are you doing here so early anyway?" Tig asked as he glanced at the clock that only read 7. Parties around here didn't normally start til around 10 or so. Marissa placed the two bags left in her hand on top of the bar.

"I figured I would start cleaning up around here. Besides I need time to set up the bar so it makes shit easier to grab." Tig nodded and grabbed the bags while prompting for Marissa to follow him towards the kitchen.

Marissa couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips. For a clubhouse that smelled of pussy, booze and sweat, the kitchen was immaculate. The newer stainless steel appliances were cleaned to perfection and everything was placed neatly. Marissa assumed that this was Gemma's doing.

"Nice, right? Bobby is part Martha Stewart when it comes to baking and shit. This is all his doing." Marissa was shocked to hear that the pot-bellied, frizzy haired man had a secret baking obsession.

"Is he going to mind if I use the kitchen?"

"Nah, not as long as you clean up after yourself. Alright sweet cheeks, I'm headed up to catch a few winks before the crazy starts. Make yourself at home." With that Tig walked away, leaving Marissa to place all her ingredients in the fridge and on the counter. She figured that she could at least cut up the chicken to season and marinate overnight in between breaks from the bar. She reached down and found a pot big enough for what she needed and placed it next to the stove for later.

She walked back behind the bar and pulled out several Red Bulls to place in the fridge. While she may enjoy a few drinks, Marissa always made it a point never to be drunk while working so the Red Bull gave her the boost she needed. Besides, she had no idea how long she would actually be here.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Half-Sack asked as Marissa started looking around trying to figure out where to start.

"Two things: around 9, can you make sure those tubs are filled with ice and secondly, what is your real name? I mean Half-Sack may get a laugh out of the boys, but I can't imagine calling you that all the time."

"You can call me Kip."

"Much better. Oh, and will it be alright if I played some music while I set up?" Kip nodded and she told him to go have fun while she got ready. She fiddled with the sirus radio until she found a country station. Tara always used to laugh at her. The feisty Latina who loved to shake her ass had a deep rooted love for country music. Marissa explained that it was something her grandfather had introduced her to when she was a little girl and she had loved it ever since.

She let the voices of Brooks and Dunn lead her to start wiping down the bar. Marissa was finally back in her element. Losing the bar had hurt like hell. She moved to Chicago at the tender age of 21 desperately needing a change. She had saved up some money and when she saw the closed bar on Chicago's infamous Magnificent Mile, she was intrigued. The original owner was an elderly man who was getting rid of the bar to retire in the outskirts of Kentucky where he was from. He loved the enthusiasm in the young woman's voice when she inquired about the bar. He offered her the space for less than he would have normally taken and wished her the best of luck.

It took her awhile to finally save enough money to open the bar, turning it into the dream that she had envisioned. At one point she had been holding down three jobs just to make it, but it had all been worth it. She could have used the money that her ex had left her but she had been bound and determined to do it all on her own. Now all the years of blood, sweat and tears was gone and Marissa struggled to think of what she was going to do next.

She lined the bottles up, making sure to place the whiskey and tequila up front since it seemed like the guys would be drinking a lot of this. She went back in the kitchen and grabbed the two bags from the liquor store. She started making batches of Little Land of Oz, Dirty Chicas, Long Islands, and her favorite sweet drink: Pink Bitch. She glanced around and made sure that all the glasses were cleaned and within reach. She placed one double shot glass in the fridge for later.

She sang along to Conway Twitty's "I See the Want To" as she noticed Kip dragging tubs of ice around to her. She glanced down at her cell phone and realized that it was 9:30. She had been so wrapped up that she completely lost track of time. She thanked Kip and placed a few cases of beer in the tubs and went to her purse to grab her bottle opener. She clipped the opener to the loopholes of her shorts just as Clay, Bobby and Tig walked towards her.

"Looks good baby girl." Marissa blushed at Bobby's compliment.

"Thanks what can I get you guys?" Marissa asked as the music seemed to get louder: the universal sign that the party was getting to start.

"You make anymore of that shit you gave me last night?" When Marissa nodded, Tig slammed his hand on the bar. "Hot damn, how about you give us three of them, hurricane?" Marissa laughed as she realized this was going to be Tig's name for her, whether she liked or not.

She turned towards Piney who was sitting in the corner. She poured him a shot of tequila as he requested and made small talk with the older gentleman. One of the things that made Marissa great at her job was her ability to hold a conversation with virtually anyone. She enjoyed talking to Piney. His old wisdom reminded her a lot of her grandfather. She patted his hand as she walked over towards Juice who had his eye on the monitors above her. She noticed his arm and traced the tattoo with her finger.

"That's beautiful." Marissa remarked as she grabbed him a beer.

"Thanks, Hap did it."

"Hap? As in Happy?" Juice nodded.

"He does a lot of the guy's tats. I've been sort of studying with him, I've only done a few so far but they came out pretty nice. So how's Charming treating you so far?"

"Well it's not my dream vacation in Hawaii but it's not too bad." Juice's eyes seem to light up at whatever he saw on the monitor. A few seconds later, a gang of females started to pile in. Well, females was putting it nicely. Marissa had seen more clothing on strippers. She watched as Juice followed a girl dressed in a school girl outfit and Marissa couldn't stop her eyes from rolling into the back of her head.

"Who the fuck are you?" Marissa looked over at a blonde and a brunette chomping on a piece of gum. The blonde was dressed in a glitter mini dress with hair to the high hell while the brunette had on what looked like a latex short set and thigh high boots.

"Would it be cliché to say your worst fucking nightmare?" Marissa questioned as the women dropped their mouths in shock. She was not going to be disrespected by these bitches. Before the blonde could say anything, the brunette nudged her and pointed to the door.

"Look its Jax and Chibs." This seemed to distract the blonde as the pair made their way to the front door.

"Don't worry about them. They think that they run things during these parties because Old Lady's rarely show up." Marissa turned towards the soft spoken blonde at the bar.

"I'm Marissa."

"Lyla." Marissa took in the woman's appearance. She was a petite, skinny little thing with an amazing set of blonde hair and big wide eyes. She was dressed in a tank top and a pair of jeans. She certainly didn't look like 99 percent of the other chicks in here. She noticed that the woman's eyes kept darting towards the front door.

"Who are you looking for, doll?" The question seemed to cause the woman to blush.

"Oh…it's stupid, just some guy that I've helped out a few times. Occasionally I watch his kids for him. His son is around my son's age and they get along great." Marissa nodded towards a beer but Lyla shook her head. "I'm not really a big beer drinker." Marissa turned around and poured a glass of Pink Bitch and handed it to her.

"Oh my God, this is delicious. What's in it?"

"Cotton Candy Vodka, Pineapple Juice and Grenadine." Marissa told Lyla that she would watch her drink while the young lady went to the bathroom. Seconds later she watched as Opie walked in. He glanced around the room looking disappointed before heading towards the bar. It didn't take Marissa long to put two and two together.

"Hey can I get a beer and a shot of Jack?" Marissa got the drink order together but before he could walk away, she grabbed his arm.

"I'm assuming you are looking for a pretty doe-eyed blonde. She went to the bathroom, she should be right back. Here's her drink, can you give it to her for me?" Opie seemed a bit more relaxed and nodded in her direction as a sign of thanks. She smiled to herself at the thought of Puppy Biker Love- if there was even such a thing.

"Hey can I get a drink?" She turned towards the end of the bar and couldn't stop the smile on her face at seeing Happy and a blonde that she had never met before. He introduced him as Koz and she swore she could hear someone growl in the background. She handed them both a drink and shot before Koz slapped his brother on the back before making his way over to Jax. Marissa smirked as she placed a hand on her hip and looked at Happy.

"Biker, Tour Guide, Tattoo Artist….you certainly are a man of many talents aren't you?"

"You have no idea, sweetheart." Marissa felt flushed at the look in Happy's eyes but just brushed it off. She leaned closer to him as started the mess next to him and he couldn't help but think that the Zac Brown Band song that was playing in the background was perfect for her.

_Because my bartender she's from the islands  
>Her body's been kissed by the sun<br>And coconut replaces the smell of the bar and I don't know if its her or the rum_

* * *

><p>Jax watched from the pool table as Marissa worked and Happy watched her every move. If he didn't know any better, he would think that the killer had a crush. Laughing to himself, he quickly thought of an idea. He put his beer down and walked over to Opie who was talking to Lyla. He whispered a quick question in his best friend's ear who simply nodded at his request. Jax slapped the man on the shoulder before making his way to the bar and took a seat next to Happy.<p>

"Hey man."

"What's up, VP?" Happy asked turning to face his brother.

"I need a favor. Tara has an early shift and I wanna go home and spend some time with my Old Lady, but I promised her that I would look out for Rissa. I already asked Op, but you think you could just keep an eye on her, in case any shit goes down?" Happy nodded and shook Jax's hand.

"No problem, brother." Jax knocked on the wood, getting Marissa attention forcing her to walk over.

"Hey darlin, I'm going to go see Tara for a bit. If you have any problems, tell Happy or Op okay?" Jax kissed Marissa on the cheek before heading out, mentally patting himself on the back.

It was about an hour later when things finally started to die down a bit. Marissa grabbed the shot glass that she placed in the fridge and poured herself a shot.

"What's that?" She looked up at Tig before answering and showing him the bottle.

"Jim Bean Red Stag, it tastes like black cherry." Tig looked in her eyes before speaking again.

"You know that blonde asshole you met earlier? Koz? Stay away from that fucker, he's nothing but trouble, you hear me?" Marissa nodded and Tig walked away. She sighed softly to herself before cracking her neck. She looked around for Kip and found him at the front door. Apparently, prospects weren't allowed the same privileges as the other guys cause the poor boy looked stone cold sober. She walked over to him and asked him if he would watch the bar for a few so she could marinate the chicken. He agreed and Marissa made her way towards the kitchen.

She was concentrating on the task at hand that when Happy strolled up beside her, she was startled.

"Thought we had run you off?" Marissa laughed.

"Hardly. I'm just trying to multi-task." She looked down as the Sazon turned her chicken the perfect color and she put her hands in the bowl to mix everything together. Before she realized it, she felt Happy's large hand on the back of her neck. His lips met hers and Marissa struggled to breath. He smelled like whiskey, cigarettes, cologne and it was possibly the most intoxicating smell in the world. Happy pulled away and walked away without a word, leaving Marissa standing there hands in the chicken bowl and fighting to steady her heart.

* * *

><p>Happy mentally cursed himself. What the fuck was wrong with him? What was it about this bitch that had him acting like such a pussy? He found himself a little frantic when he came back from the bathroom and the prospect was behind the bar. When the prospect told him she was in the kitchen, he found her and stood there watching her for a minute. She seemed to be lost in her own little world as her fingers quickly worked as if it was second nature to her.<p>

He watched the small of her back arch as she reached over head to grab something. When he finally made his way towards and she turned to stare him, he couldn't stop himself. Her big eyes were too inviting and he had been dying to touch those full lips since yesterday. Maybe it was just the fact that she was a breath of fresh air. Aside from Gemma and Tara, the rest of the bitches around here made it known that they didn't have a bit of self-worth and would do anything for a little bit of attention from anyone with a cut and a bike.

His eyes scanned the main room and found a brunette sitting to the Head Hoe Ima. Christy, Carly, Clara….or whatever the fuck her name was had been trying to ride Happy's dick for awhile, ever since he had been spending more time in Charming as opposed to Tacoma. Needing to get Marissa's eyes out of his head, he wordlessly stalked over to the girl, grabbed her hand and pulled her towards his room.

It took a few minutes but Marissa finally made her way back to the bar. She looked around for Happy but she didn't see him anywhere. She tried to not let the disappointment show on her face. Instead, she relieved Kip and went back to working. She laughed at the guys antics and grimaced as one of the bitches took her top off, proving to Marissa that the night was getting ready to take a different turn. She waved to Clay as he praised her for a job well done before announcing that he was headed home to his Queen.

She glanced up just in time to see the brunette from earlier walk in the room with a shit eating grin on her face. Walking behind her was Happy. If Marissa had any doubt about what had transpired, the bitch's loud recount of the previous events to her girlfriends at the end of the bar sealed the deal for her.

"Can I just say the Happy ride was well worth the wait." The bitch exclaimed to her friends who all squealed in unison. Marissa told herself that she didn't care, it was just a kiss, and it was not a big deal. She was so determined to remind herself to stay calm that she jumped when the glass in her hand shattered from her gripping it so tightly.

"Damn it" Marissa hissed as she checked her hand. Satisfied that there was no blood, she quickly bent down to clean up her mess. When Happy sat down, she slammed a beer down in front of him and walked away to talk to Piney.

Suppressing a yawn, Marissa glanced down at her cell and noticed that it was a little after 3 in the morning. She was more than thankful that the party was winding down and everyone was starting to retire in one form or another. She shook her head at a passed out Juice who was wrapped around a near naked blonde on a pool table. Opie was outside saying goodnight to Lyla and she stopped giving a fuck where Happy was hours ago.

She cleaned the bar as much as could without bothering any of the sleeping bodies around here. Satisfied with the work, she grabbed her purse and went into the kitchen to clean up. She didn't want Bobby mad at her; she had grown to have a soft spot for the man who had entertained her by doing body shots off of various women throughout the night. Stubbing her cigarette in the ashtray, Marissa sat down on a stool and leaned her head down on the cool metal counter as she tried desperately to clear her head.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wakey, wakey princess." Marissa heard a voice and popped open her eyes. She bolted up and looked around. This was the second night in a row when she woke up in a strange place and she did not need to make it a habit. Taking in her surroundings, she realized that she had fallen asleep at the kitchen counter. She stretched her back and turned to look at Chibs who had been the one to wake her.

"Christ, I don't even remember falling asleep." Marissa exclaimed as she stood up.

"Kind of obvious love. Coffee?" Chibs asked and the woman graciously accepted. She grabbed her cell phone and noticed that she had four text messages from Tara demanding to know where the hell she was. Looking at the clock, she noticed it was past ten in the morning. Gulping the coffee down quickly, she placed the mug in the sink before waving a goodbye to Chibs, explaining that she needed to go before Tara started sending out the bloodhounds.

She rushed out of the kitchen and ran smack into a hard surface. Just as she was about to hit the floor, a pair of arms grabbed her and pulled her into a chest. Looking up she saw Happy staring down at her. She was about to get lost in his onyx eyes when the events of last night flooded back to her. Instead she brushed him off and raced towards her car, jumping over a sleeping Bobby on the floor.

She slammed her car door and ran into Jax's house. Once inside, she allowed herself to breathe. She pulled out her cell and sent a quick text to Tara letting her know that she had fallen asleep in the kitchen and she was back at her house. Just as she hit the send button, she was almost given a heart attack.

"Mornin'" Marissa placed a hand on her heart and turned towards Jax who had a smile on his face, having been watching her the whole time.

"Fuckin hell, do you people make it a habit to scare the shit out of people?" Marissa walked in the kitchen and plopped down in a chair and put her head down.

"You didn't come home last night. Did you have a good time?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Jax lifted her head, forcing her to look at him. Marissa took a deep breath before explaining how her night went, making sure to leave out the part of Happy kissing her and then fucking a piece of trash just minutes later. As expected, Jax laughed at the idea of the poor girl falling asleep in the kitchen. She smiled as she gave him the finger. She stood up before looking at Jax.

"So this dinner thing, am I supposed to dress up or some shit?" Jax shook his head much to Marissa's relief. "Good. Are you planning on using the living room anytime soon because I really need to get some proper sleep before I have to head back to the clubhouse, finish my dish and be ready for your mother at 6?"

"Nah darling, I'm headed to the garage and Ma took Abel for the day." Marissa stopped listening after no and rushed to the couch grabbing the blanket and pillow that Tara had left out for her. She read the incoming text from Tara saying she would pick her up at the clubhouse and she was sleep before Jax walked out of the door.

* * *

><p>Jax walked into the clubhouse whistling to himself. He was determined to figure out what happened last night. He heard Marissa's version but he wasn't sure if she was telling him the whole truth. He bounced his "Happy has a crush" theory on Tara, who promptly told him that he was starting to act like Gemma Jr. and to just leave well enough alone. He told Tara that Happy might be the answer to get Marissa to stay but Tara strongly disagreed.<p>

"Trust me, if Marissa gets involved with Happy, it will be the EXACT reason why she leaves." Jax asked what she meant and Tara just said it wasn't her story to share.

Jax sat down next to Chibs who was looking at everyone starting to get up and get out or go upstairs.

"Hey there Jacky-boy. How yer doin'?"

"Good. Hey, how did Marissa do last night?" Chibs shrugged.

"She seemed to hold her own. A lot of the lassies were praising her drinks like it was the second coming. I found her sleep on a stool in the kitchen this morning though. Guess the little lady wore herself out." Jax laughed with Chibs and nodded his hello to Happy and Juice as they joined the men.

"What's so funny?" Juice asked as Chibs recounted the story.

"I will say this, that girl is hella gorgeous." Jax looked over for Happy's reaction to Juice's statement and Jax could have sworn the man's eyes flashed with anger. This was the first time that Jax was pissed that he couldn't read Happy. Normally he was used to the stoic man, but today it was frustrating the hell out him.

"Don't forget, Ma's having family dinner at 7 and she expects us all to be there, so don't even think about backing out." All the men groaned as they thought about what could happen if they missed a Gemma planned function. They quickly remembered the black eye that Tig sported for a week after Gemma threw one of her dolls at him for not going to a fundraiser. Jax couldn't remember what Tig was scared of more: the doll or Gemma.

Marissa walked into the clubhouse at 4:30. She had prolonged getting there as long as she could but she had to face the inevitable. She was thankful that she didn't see anyone and hurried towards the kitchen. She plugged her earplugs in her ear, turned her IPod up as loud as it would go and started to get to work.

She was placing the foil on the pan and singing to a Marc Anthony song when she noticed Tara sitting at the counter with a smile on her face. Marissa pulled the earplugs out and grinned.

"Hey Doc. How was work?"

"I only had one surgery and a shitload of paperwork." Tara responded. Marissa looked at Tara's outfit and smiled to herself. The pair was dressed damn near like twins in their black shirts, dark jeans and boots.

"Not enough blood and guts for you?"

"Trust me; I get enough of that here." Tara helped Marissa pick up everything. She asked about Marissa's night and she recounted the same story that she gave to Jax. The pair piled into the car and headed toward Gemma's.

* * *

><p>Marissa was shocked when she saw the large house. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't this. Tara turned to look at her before opening the car door.<p>

"Heads up: it's just going to be us women in here before the guys get here and we are expected to set everything up for them." Marissa rolled her eyes.

"Christ, did these women step back into the 50s or something?" She grabbed a pan and shut the door with her hip before following Tara in the house. The house was beautifully decorated and Marissa was beyond impressed. She walked into the kitchen and saw Gemma barking orders at people. She stood with the pan in her hand and waited for someone to see her.

"Great, you guys are here. What is that you got?" Gemma asked referring to the pans.

"The large one is rice, chicken and beans. It's my Abuela's recipe and the smaller one if for Kip. It's just rice and beans without the chicken. He mentioned that he was a vegetarian so I figured this would be easier."

"Well aren't you perspective."

"People talk, I listen." She glanced at Tara who said she was going to check on Abel, leaving Marissa to face the firing squad on her own. Gemma grabbed her arm to turn her towards the other women in the house. Marissa groaned when she saw one of the women sitting at the table was the brunette from last night.

"That's Carly and Michelle, also known as Thing One and Thing Two."

"I thought you couldn't stand crow eaters."

"I can't but until these guys get an Old Lady or stop divorcing so damn much, I need extra hands to pass out beer and cut vegetables since that is the only thing that they are good for. This is Luanne." Marissa looked at an older blonde in a tight denim jumpsuit who seemed to look at her from top to bottom before grabbing one of Marissa's boobs.

"Damn, are those things real?" More than a little shocked at the woman's gall, Marissa struggled to get her bearings together.

"Uh, yeah. I've had them since I was 13."

"Are you looking for work because between those boobs and your dick sucking lips, you could make a ton of money?"

"Excuse me?"

"Damn it, Luanne, leave the girl alone." Gemma ordered. Luanne simply shot her a "what did I do" look before going towards the girls sitting at the table.

"Sorry about that. Every piece of pussy that walks through here she tries to turn into a porn star." At Marissa's questioning look, Gemma continued to explain. "Luanne is the owner of Caracara, the porn studio, but don't worry about her, she's practically harmless." Marissa couldn't stop herself from laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. A small town that has an outlaw biker club AND a porn studio; it was just too comical.

"It's alright. Maybe I should take her number or something, cause if I can't find work when I go back to Chicago, I may have to start sucking dick and giving hand jobs to pay my bills." Gemma laughed at the woman before instructing her on what to do.

An hour later, Marissa heard the men starting to pile in the house, loudly talking amongst themselves. She turned around when she heard Gemma start to yell.

"Damn it Jackson, if you don't get your fingers out of my food, I will cut them off."

"Damn Ma, I'm hungry." Jax put his best puppy dog face but Gemma was not having it.

"Sit your ass down at the table. Dinner will be ready in 5 minutes. Girls, start getting the boys something to drink. Tara and Rissa, start grabbing plates."

Everyone followed Gemma's orders. Marissa put the plates down on the large dining room table and said hello to everyone. After a few more rounds of going back and forth to the kitchen, Marissa found herself sitting in between Tara and Tig…..and directly across from Happy. She chuckled softly as she heard Gemma tell the two crow eaters to sit at the kitchen table to eat, basically reminding them their place in the house. She noticed that Carly kept trying to get Happy's attention and it wasn't working in the slightest bit.

Dinner was a lively affair. Marissa noticed that this group didn't seem to do anything without making lots of noise. She felt her face hurt from laughing so hard. She was a tad bit sad as she realized that she didn't have this back home. Her mother was dead and she had no siblings. She wasn't close to her father's family at all. The only person she was close to was Tara and then she left, leaving Marissa pretty much alone except for a string of one night stands and quick relationships that didn't last past six months. She hoped that Tara knew just how lucky she was, even if it wasn't always perfect. This table had a real sense of family and that was a rarity nowadays.

Afterwards, everyone was sitting around in various places, drinking and holding conversation. There was blues music playing in the background and everyone was thankful for the peace. It was rare to have a moment where things weren't crazy. They may all bitch about Gemma's dinners, but secretly they all enjoyed the low key moments.

"GOD DAMNIT!" Everyone stopped and looked towards the kitchen. A minute later, Marissa appeared and stopped when she noticed all eyes were on her. They noticed that the hand that was holding her cell phone was shaking. "What?" Marissa barked at everyone.

"Is everything alright baby girl?" Clay asked. Marissa ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah…um…everything's fine. I just need a moment to myself. Excuse me." She grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. Once they heard the door close, everyone started talking amongst themselves.

"What the hell was that about?" Opie asked. Tara went to hand Abel to Jax so she could get up and check on her friend, but Tig stood and waved her back down.

"Don't worry, I'll go out there." Tara looked nervous but Jax just kissed her on the side of her head to try and ease her fears.

Marissa didn't even bother to look up when she heard someone come outside. "Tara, I'm fine, just give me a minute." When she didn't hear anything she finally pulled her eyes upward.

"Come on, let's go." Tig grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Marissa pulled her hand back quickly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tig turned around to look at her.

"Come. On. Let's. Go." When Marissa made no signs of going anywhere, Tig cursed loudly. "Look, you need to clear your head; I'm offering you a chance to do that. So for the love of God, can we please fucking go?" Curious, Marissa followed Tig towards his bike. Neither saw Happy standing by the front window, suddenly feeling very pissed off.

* * *

><p>"Hey Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?"<p>

"Sure baby." He asked Opie to look after Tara who couldn't contain her worry and he ushered his mom out back. He pulled a joint from his pocket and lit it.

"I need a favor, Mom"

"What is it?" Gemma knew there wasn't anything that she wouldn't do for her son, so she prepared for the worst. Jax handed his mother the joint before continuing.

"I need you to help me convince Marissa to move to Charming."

"Why the hell would I do that?" Gemma asked as she took an inhale. It wasn't that she disliked the girl; she was actually a lot better than most of the bitches she had met over the years. The girl could cook and seemed to be able to take care of herself with no one's help. That was a quality that most girls lacked nowadays. She looked over as Jax seemed to struggle with how to explain his reasoning to Gemma.

"I want Tara to be happy and Marissa being here makes Tara happy. Maybe if Marissa stays, Tara could loosen up a bit, not be so damn worried all the time. She needs something more, Ma. She needs friends, something normal." Gemma saw the struggle in her son's eyes and knew she would do anything to make him happy.

"Do you have an idea how we are going to convince the girl to stay?"

"Not a fucking clue, that's what I came to you. No one knows how to get something done quite like you can." Jax laughed as he hugged his mother.

"Yeah, yeah...keep sucking up."

* * *

><p>A half an hour later, Marissa stepped off the back of Tig's motorcycle and handed him the helmet. She had to admit; the drive did her a world of good. The open wind, the quiet streets and the scenery were all breathtaking under the dark sky.<p>

"You know people would save a lot of money on therapy if they just invested in a motorcycle." Marissa quipped as she allowed Tig to lead her down a path. They walked for about a mile before they reached a spot that had a man-made waterfall. It was breathtaking and Marissa sat down on the nearest bench and just stared. The pair remained silent for a few minutes before Tig spoke up.

"Ready to talk about that outburst?" Marissa sighed as she lit up a cigarette.

"I got a phone call. It was from one of my….former workers. He called to tell me that the ATF had been back to my bar, except this time they completely trashed the fucking place. It's bad enough that they shut me down but now I don't even have anything to show for all my hard work."

"Is it that bad?"

"According to Taylor, there was not a glass unbroken or a table unturned. He said the even ripped the pictures off the wall."

"What are you going to do?"

"I haven't the slightest fucking clue. I guess when I go back to Chicago, I'll buy a business suit and looking for a job where I can answer phones or file something."

"You got insurance?" Marissa scoffed.

"My insurance company is going to want nothing to do with me once the words ATF hit their desk. Damn it, that bar was all I had." Marissa put her head down and tried to control her emotions. She learned a long time ago not to break down in front of other people. _"Don't ever show weakness."_ Those were the words that her mother told her almost 15 years ago and she held strong to that.

Tig watched as she kept her head down and cracked her knuckles. Tig had no fucking clue why, but he felt an intense need to protect the young woman. He didn't necessarily want to fuck her, although he wouldn't kick her out of his bed, but there was something more. Something about her personality that Tig was drawn to, much like he was drawn to Gemma who he knew he would protect with his life.

"Do you have family Tig, I mean besides everyone at the house?" Tig looked confused at first before he realized that she was trying to deflect from her self.

"I got two daughters: Dawn and Fawn"

"Twins?"

"No, the 80s."

"Were you ever married?"

"Nah never felt the need to settle down. I'd rather die buried in random pussy than spend my old days looking at the same face everyday. I never met a chick that could change that in me." Tig's cell phone rang and he answered while Marissa listened to his side of the conversation.

"Yeah?...Yeah, everything's fine….she's alright….No, I'm not fucking her for Christ sakes, Gem…Fine…Okay…_Alright_." Tig hung up and stood up from his spot on the bench. "Come on, Hurricane. Let's get you back before Gemma starts to think that I'm out here corrupting you."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I know in my summary I said this was set in Season One and for the most part it is, but in my story Donna has already passed and Lyla is making her way into the picture, so I guess it means I'm leaning more towards the AU category. _

_I hope you guys stay with me. I know that the buildup for Marissa and Happy seems to be taking some time, but it's important for me to establish the importance of her friendship with Tara so that it doesn't seem like her being in Charming is strictly for some man that kissed her once._

_I always would like to thank you all for the reviews. This story is really writing itself with all the ideas that I have had and I'm glad that it is being enjoyed. _

* * *

><p>The following Friday, Marissa found herself staring at her eyebrows in the mirror of a salon after getting a much needed waxing. She had a pretty uneventful week, mainly due to the fact that she refused to leave the house. After Tig drove them back to Gemma's, she opted to wait outside until Tara was done. Judging by the humongous hug she received from both Tara AND Jax, it was safe to assume that Tig had indeed told everyone what had happened- not that she expected anything less. The last thing she wanted to deal with was sympathy from people that didn't even know her, so she was in hiding all week.<p>

Monday was spent watching trashy television and getting to know Abel's nanny Neeta. The woman was sharp as a whip, damn near calling Marissa out in between feeding Abel and catching up on The Young and the Restless. She enjoyed the day and felt the weight on her shoulders lessen a bit from some of Neeta's advice. Tuesday was the day that Gemma ran into the house and told her about a school fundraiser that she was in charge of on Saturday. She needed Marissa's help but just when she was going to say no, Gemma told her that she wouldn't have to actually work a booth, just help grab supplies, so Marissa reluctantly agreed. Tuesday was also the day that she received a call from Tig who was just "checking in." He had apparently got her cell phone number from Jax and she was tickled by Tig going into Papa Bear Mode.

Wednesday was Tara's day off and the pair spent the day taking care of Abel and catching up on everything that they were not able to discuss over the phone. Tara also expressed her worry about her good friend Opie getting involved with Lyla, who happened to be a porn star. Marissa waved off her fears.

"At least she's not trying to fuck Jax, and judging by what I saw; she would be the only one."

Tara also told her that Jax said on Tuesday, Happy had asked Tig if he was "fucking the doc's friend". Tig was pissed by the question and the boys had to work out the issue in a boxing ring during lunch. Marissa raised an eyebrow but remained silent. After Abel had gone to sleep, Tara pulled out a box of the girls favorite movies and they ordered some food and made it a night. When Jax walked in the door well after 2 in the morning, he found both girls sleep on the couch, surrounded by junk food and the ending credits of "Edwards Scissorhands" playing on the television.

Thursday had been uneventful as Marissa spent the majority of the day sitting on the back porch, scrolling through Craigslist trying to find a job that didn't make her want to hang herself. By Friday, she could no longer ignore the black caterpillars that were growing on her forehead, so she ventured outside in search of a salon. The one thing that she was beginning to like about Charming was the fact that everything was so easy to find. Hell, she had been living in Chicago for seven years and she still managed to get lost walking around the corner.

The Go-Go's "We Got the Beat" blared from her purse, signaling that Tara was calling her.

"Hey are you busy?" Tara asked, sounding frantic and annoyed at the same time.

"Not really. What's up?"

"I need you to go the police station and pick up Gemma. They aren't charging her but she is refusing to go anywhere with Clay. I can't get a hold of Jax and I have to scrub in soon." Marissa rolled her eyes thinking about what the woman could have done but agreed to go pick her up. After paying the cashier and getting directions, she headed towards the Charming station.

Walking inside, she immediately spotted Clay, Bobby and Tig sitting on one wall while Gemma sat on the opposite one. The look that Gemma was giving Clay could have frozen over hell.

"Hello. I'm Deputy Chief Hale, how may I be able to help you?" Marissa tried desperately to stop the theme of The Andy Griffith show from playing out in her head.

"I'm here to pick up Gemma Teller-Morrow." The smile left Hale's face as he seemed to be analyzing her trying to figure out who she was and how did she have ties to SAMCRO. Marissa walked around him and headed towards the group catching the tail end of the conversation.

"Jesus Christ Gemma, what do you want me to do? I didn't bring the damn girl here and she's not even here to see me."

"I don't care. I have dealt with a lot of your shit Clay but this is beyond low. There is no reason why your 'run pussy' should have EVER stepped foot in this goddamn town."

"HURRICANE! I was beginning to think you didn't love me anymore." Tig screamed seeing Marissa and effectively cutting off the argument between the married couple. Marissa smiled as she placed a kiss on Bobby and Tig's cheek. When she pulled back from Tig, she noticed the fading bruises on his face but he just brushed her off. She went and sat down next to Gemma.

"Tara asked me to pick you up. She told me that you weren't being charged with anything, why are you handcuffed?"

"To prevent her from killing Clay." Bobby muttered causing Tig to laugh and Clay to glare.

"WAYNE, my ride is here so can you please take the chains off?" Gemma yelled across the station. Marissa looked up as an older, balding gentleman walked out of the room but that wasn't what made her blood turn cold. Behind him was Agent June Stahl. Marissa stood up so quickly, her purse fell to the floor.

"Miss Ramirez, I wasn't expecting to see you here. How's everything going for you?"

"You disgusting bitch. What the hell is wrong with you? You hide behind that badge while you run around destroying innocent people because it makes your nipples hard. You know if you weren't such an ugly person, inside and out, you could find a man to take care of that problem for you. Don't you dare give me that smug look because I am five seconds away from kicking your ass all over this station, consequences be damned." She felt someone come up behind her and grab her arms, but she didn't care. "Karma is an ugly motherfucker and it will find its way around to you. But I will tell you this: you are not the first pompous asshole that has tried to bring me down. So if you thought that I was going to crawl in some corner and bawl like a baby; then you got the wrong bitch. I will ALWAYS land on my feet and if there is any good in the world, YOU will land six feet under sooner rather than later." Marissa turned towards Gemma.

"Are you ready?" She walked out of the police station and waited for Gemma to follow.

Marissa thanked the waitress who had placed her food down as she sat across from Gemma at the local Charming diner. Marissa grabbed the ketchup and started putting them on her French fries when Gemma spoke.

"Are you alright? I mean that was some kind of calm rage you had going on. I think you put the fear of God in everyone at the station." Marissa just slammed the bottle down before looking at Gemma.

"I'm fine. So explain to me this 'run pussy' shit. You don't seem like the kind of woman that would be okay with her man cheating."

"It's part of being an Old Lady. You are always the number one bitch, but there are some rules that you have to learn to accept. Once he makes you an Old Lady, you get to decided what will and won't be a deal breaker for you. He has to accept them and you have to accept that when he goes on runs for weeks at a time, there is a good chance some little tart will have her lips wrapped around his cock. My number one rule is to never bring that shit to my town. I can turn a blind eye and pretend that I don't know what's going on but it's hard to ignore shit when it's starting me in the face." Marissa was a bit flabbergasted. She could never see herself being okay with her man cheating, biker rules be damned. She sat back as Gemma told her the story of a skateboard and a young woman's face.

* * *

><p>The following day Marissa was walking around the yard of an elementary school looking for anyone with a leather vest. It was hotter than hell outside and Marissa was thankful that she had brought her black, strapless maxi dress. The dress allowed a bit of a breeze to hit her whenever she walked, stopping her from possibly dying from heat exhaustion. Her hair was pulled to the top of her head in a messy bun and her sunglasses were perched on her face as she looked at the various game booths that were set up.<p>

She heard Gemma call her name and she saw the woman setting up food up ahead. She made her way over and waved hello to the various ladies that were waiting for Gemma's next command. Marissa was more than a bit shocked when Gemma kissed her on the cheek. She told Marissa to go and enjoy herself and she would find her when Opie, Jax and Tara showed up with the van.

Marissa walked around taking in the various stands and games. She stopped at a jewelry stand and was looking around when she heard her name being yelled. She turned just to see Chibs, Bobby, Happy and Koz walking towards her. She laughed as Chibs picked her up and swung her around.

"I knew you couldn't stay away from us. How are you doing love?" She accepted a hug from Bobby who was dressed to the nines as Elvis and bitching that he better get to his booth before Gemma's high heeled boot found its way to the back of his head. Chibs followed before making Marissa promise that she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye.

Happy turned sharply towards Koz who must have read Hap's mind because he said something about getting something to drink leaving Hap and Marissa standing there by themselves. Happy noticed just how tiny Marissa was compared to him as she was standing in a pair of flip flops instead of normal platform boots.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Marissa responded looking up at Happy and prayed that her sunglasses hid her emotions well. "How have you been?" Happy simply nodded.

"You?"

"Good." Marissa was growing tired of this conversation, so she crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. "Why were you fighting Tig?" Happy snarled before answering.

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"Really? Cause from what I heard, it was about me, making it my business. I find it funny that you were wondering if I was spreading my legs for someone. I'm not the one that goes around kissing people in kitchens before fucking dim-witted whores just moments later. The way I see it, your little stunt prohibited you to ask about what the fuck I do and who I do it with."

"So are you fucking Tig?"

"Why should that bother you?"

"It shouldn't." Happy said before he could realize his mistake.

"But it does?" Marissa looked behind him before continuing. "I came here to see my best friend and figure out what the hell was going on in my life, not to get fucked. I know that might be a hard concept for you considering the kind of chicks that walk around here, but it's the truth. I'm not fucking Tig; he just took the time to give me an unbiased ear when I needed it. I don't even know why I am taking the time to explain shit to you. Enjoy your trash." Marissa walked away as Carly approached Happy and put her arm around his waist.

Tara watched from Gemma's booth as Happy and Marissa talked. She could tell by Marissa's stance that she was pissed. Tara pulled herself away from Jax as she walked up to Marissa who was grabbing a water bottle. She put her arm around her shoulder and Marissa leaned her head into Tara.

"Hey I need a favor."

"Is that the way this town says 'hello, how are you doing'?"

"You see the stage over there?" Marissa followed Tara's hand as some of the guys were setting up a make shift stage. Marissa quickly shook her head.

"No, Tara. Hell no."

"Come on Ris, please. It would be a welcoming change of pace between Bobby's Elvis rendition and those teenagers's emo-rock shit. Besides singing has always made you feel good."

"What makes you think I feel bad?"

"He's getting under your skin." Tara said referring to Happy. "Are you sure nothing happened between you two? I haven't heard anything about him since he took you the store."

"Nothing happened. He's just a bald headed bastard and I'm glad Tig gave him that busted lip." Sighing, Marissa turned to look at Tara. "I'm not making any promises but I will go look at the song selection." Tara squealed as she hugged Marissa before running to round up everyone.

"Hey Rissa." Juice exclaimed from his position by the stereo equipment. Marissa couldn't help but smile at Juice. He was down right adorable, seemed way to innocent to be involved in a life of crime, but who was she to judge? She grabbed the big karaoke book and started thumbing through.

Once the sun had started to set, Marissa made her way towards the stage after being introduced by Bobby Elvis. She couldn't stop her head from shaking as she heard Tara's loud screaming. She took a swing of her whiskey, praying for liquid courage. She could hold her own with a mic but singing in public was not something she did often. She had sung a few times at Escape Reality but for the most part, her singing was reserved for her kitchen.

She glanced at SAMCRO. She watched as Clay wrapped an arm around Gemma, showing that their feud from earlier had been squashed. Jax was standing behind Tara, who had Abel sitting in the stroller. When her eyes made it over to Happy, she saw that Carly was still wrapped around him like a condom. He seemed to be looking at her with a smug expression on his face. She felt the rush of anger that seemed to attack her when ever Happy was near lately. She nodded towards Juice who pressed a button and the Gretchen Wilson song started playing. Marissa took a deep breath and grabbed the mic stand.

_I'm no stranger to temptation  
>I have found some comfort there<br>But it only leaves me with questions  
>Never answers any prayers<br>I've been as high as angels fly  
>and I've fallen straight to hell<br>Heaven help me  
>Heaven help me<br>'Cause I can't help myself_

_I have wounded those who love me_  
><em>And refused to take the blame<em>  
><em>I have hidden all my demons<em>  
><em>But I cannot hide my shame<em>  
><em>I've forgotten who I am<em>  
><em>But I know you know me well<em>  
><em>Heaven help me<em>  
><em>Heaven help me<em>  
><em>'Cause I can't help myself<em>

_Give me wisdom, give me strength_  
><em>Give me faith above all else<em>  
><em>Heaven help me<em>  
><em>Heaven help me<em>  
><em>'Cause I can't help myself<em>  
><em>Heaven help me<em>  
><em>Heaven help me<em>  
><em>'Cause I can't help myself<em>

She let the song end and she finally opened her eyes when she heard the loud noise coming from the crowd. She looked over at Tara who had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Gemma just shook her head and mouthed "Wow". Marissa walked off the stage and was engulfed in hugs from everyone. She stepped back and bumped into Happy. He looked at her with an unreadable expression before kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear.

"You did good sweetheart." He walked away leaving Marissa more than a little confused.


	7. Chapter 7

Sunday morning, Marissa was up before anyone else in the house. She quickly pulled on a pair of sweat capris and walked out the door, being careful to shut the door without making any noise. Marissa needed to clear her head desperately. She walked around the neighborhood, ignoring everything around her and just focused on what was going on in her brain. She had enough shit to deal with and the last thing she needed was a space in mind taking up by Happy's bi-polar ass. However with the hot and cold way that he was yesterday she found herself thinking about him a lot more than she would like to do.

_Calm down, Rissa. You will be gone soon enough. Don't let this man bring you down. _Ah, home. Another shit load of problems were waiting for her back in Chicago. What the hell was she going to do? Maybe she could get a job working at a bar, but would she really be comfortable taking orders from someone after being able to run her own shit for so long? She just wanted…needed something in her life to go right. She needed some sort of sign that all her hard work at not been in vain. Or was this somehow God's way of finally punishing her for all the bad deeds that she had committed over the past 28 years?

It was a few hours before Marissa turned to make her way back. Walking up the driveway, she noticed Gemma's car and she groaned. _Great, what kind of adventure does Mommie Dearest have in store for me today? _She pushed open the front door and looked towards the kitchen where Tara, Jax and Gemma were sitting as if waiting for her return. It reminded her of some sort of intervention but the only thing Marissa seemed to be addicted to lately was insanity so that couldn't be it. She sat in the chair next to Tara and opposite Jax.

"I have something to tell you but you can not say anything until I'm done." Tara waited for Marissa's response before continuing. "I want you to move to Charming." Marissa went to open her mouth but Tara hurriedly continued. "I have it all planned. You can rent out my dad's place. You can decorate it anyway that you want to. I'm not doing anything with the place anyway and you would only be two blocks from me and Jax so you can take the time to get to know you nephew." _Low blow bitch. _Marissa glared. "You said yourself that you didn't think Chicago had anything left for you anymore. Plus you wouldn't have to be alone any longer. You would have me, Jax, Abel and everyone else. They have all seemed to take a liking to you." Tara finally took a breath and looked at her friend. Marissa simply crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you done yet?" Tara nodded. "You forgot one important thing. What about work? There is no way hell I'm going to stay somewhere rent free like a charity case. I need to work, have my own money. Did you figure that out in your big plan?"

"Actually I did." Marissa turned towards Gemma with a shocked look on her face. "The garage has been crazy and with Abel being home, I have wanted to spend more time with him, so we figured that you could work at the garage with me. All the paperwork and shit is more of a two person job anyway."

"And Clay said that he wouldn't mind hiring you to bartend more parties. Not weekly ones but big parties like birthdays, patch-over's and shit." Jax spoke up for the first time. Marissa looked around the three people with disbelief. Did they really think that she wanted to live in this fucking town? Granted, they seemed to have thoroughly thought everything out, but what did she want to do?

"Please Marissa. I need you." The strain in Tara's voice pulled at Marissa's heart strings. Damn the big eyed doctor to hell. She directed her next question to Gemma.

"You really want me hanging around everyday?" Gemma shrugged.

"What can I say? You're wearing on me baby girl." Marissa closed her eyes and prayed that she wasn't going to regret her next statement.

"Fine." Tara squealed and pulled her into a hug. "But you are responsible for cleaning out your Dad's shit and if this comes back to bite me in the ass, I will blame you."

* * *

><p>A few days later the guys were working in the garage when they saw Tara's Cutlass peel into the lot and heard the brakes slam. They watched as Marissa walked out the car dressed in a pair of workout shorts, sports bra and sneakers. She ignored everyone as she all but ran into the clubhouse.<p>

Everyone had seemed happy about Marissa's decision to stay in town. Gemma had the boys helping to clean out Tara's dad house but no one had seen much of the Latina as she had spent most of her time on the phone trying to tie up loose ends and constantly second guessing her decision to move to Charming. This was the first time that Happy had seen her since the fundraiser, being as though he had to spend a few days up at Tacoma taking care of business. When he had shown up for work that morning, he had heard about Marissa's move when Gemma told Clay that the charity truck would be at Tara's around 2 that afternoon so someone had to be there to let them in.

"What the hell is that about?" Chibs asked the question that was on everyone's mind. Being the nosey bunch that they were, although they would swear it wasn't true if asked, they followed Marissa into the clubhouse. They watched as the woman looked around frantically for what she needed. She grabbed something from behind the bar before she plugged her IPod into the IHome that Juice had set up on the bar counter. She found the playlist she was looking for taping her hands up.

Moving towards the punching bag in the corner, Metallica's "Enter the Sandman" blared through the clubhouse. The guys watched as she cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders completely focused and oblivious to anything around her. She started to bounce on the balls of her feet before throwing a right hook out, testing the bag. Her punches started out slow, deliberate before she seemed to find her rhythm. She threw right-left combinations and mean hooks as she glared at the bag.

"Should we do something?" Juice asked.

"Yeah, stay the hell out of her way."

30 minutes later, Marissa felt her bones start to collapse under the exhaustion. She was pouring with sweat and she all but fell into the bag when she finally put her arms down. She took a few deep breaths and looked down at her hands that were now bleeding through her tape. She grabbed a bottle of water and downed the entire thing without stopping. She threw the bottle in the trash, grabbed her IPod and keys and headed out.

"Hey." Marissa looked up at Gemma who was standing in the doorway of the office and calling her over. Marissa walked inside and fell into a chair, officially exhausted.

"What the hell is going on with you? The guys said you were beating that bag like it was a crow eater." Marissa let out a humorless laugh: if only a crow eater could be her biggest problem.

"You and Tara and Jax gassing my head up and selling me on Charming is my problem. Moving here is becoming a bigger pain in the ass than I need right now and I'm constantly wondering if being here is the right decision and I can't talk to Tara about it because she is so fucking ecstatic, I will feel like I'm kicking a three legged puppy."

"What is your problem with moving to Charming?"

"I'm a city girl Gemma, always have been, always will be. It's how I operate and function. Am I really going to be able to fit in to this small town bullshit? Will I be fulfilled here and not starting climbing walls from going insane? Plus I realized that I'm going to have to bring all my furniture with me because I'm not in the position to buy new shit, but there is no way that I'm leaving my car. So the only logical solution I have been able to come up with is to fly to Chicago, drive Coyote back, fly back to Chicago and then drive a U-HAUL with all my shit here. Does that make any fucking sense to you?" Gemma listened to the woman's rant before lighting a joint and handing it to Marissa who greedily grabbed it.

"As far as if you will fit in here, only time can answer that question. I will tell you this; it's rarely boring around here. When it comes to your other problem, just sit tight for a minute, I have an idea." Marissa watched Gemma walk out of the office and she concentrated on the joint taking away some of her frustrations. When Gemma finally returned she was not be herself. Instead she walked in with Juice, Tig and Happy in tow. Gemma ran a hand towards the guys.

"This here is the solution to your problem."

"Excuse me?"

"I just talked it over with Clay. You, Juice, Tig and Happy will take one of the vans to Chicago. That way you can bring your car and all your shit back in one trip. See, perfect solution. It shouldn't take you more than a week to get everything together and things have been pretty quiet on the home front so Clay can spare to not have them here for a few days." Gemma's tone left no room for argument causing Marissa to have no choice but to agree.

* * *

><p>Marissa was never so happy to see the "Welcome to Chicago" sign before in her life. Spending 30 hours in a van with these three men was her idea of hell. The original idea had sounded good: one would drive, one would navigate while the other two relaxed in the back, then they would all switch. This was to save time and avoid having to stay at some truck stop motel. What she wasn't informed of was how ANNOYING the trip was going to be? Tig bickered at Juice most of the time, still bitter about some incident about a cranked up dog and a chunk of Tig's ass missing. That argument alone caused Marissa to take damn near a half a bottle of Tylenol. Of course, Happy had remained relatively quiet; occasionally talking to his brothers and only addressing Marissa once to wake her when they had stopped to get something to eat.<p>

She pulled into the back parking lot as she felt her heart start to beat out of her chest. Once she turned of the ignition, the three men jumped out of the van to stretch but Marissa took her time. Wordlessly she grabbed her bags and walked towards the door. She turned the key and took a deep breath. Once she walked down the small hallway and turned on the light, she let out a gasp.

Taylor had told her the bar was destroyed but she still wasn't prepared for the sight before her. She struggled to stop herself from crying as she stepped over a piece of broken glass. She couldn't break down, especially not when she had an audience. Instead she turned the lights off and turned right. Opening another door, she led the men upstairs to her apartment.

Turning on the lights, the guys were immediately impressed with the two bedroom space. Her living room was decorated in grey, red and black. A couch and loveseat sat in the middle of the room which held a massive flat screen TV that made Juice drool. There were numerous pictures and books everywhere. She walked towards the kitchen.

"Make yourselves comfortable." Knowing that no work was going to get done, Marissa grabbed the phone and placed an order for pizza delivery. She opened her fridge and noticed that there was still half a case of beer in there. She grabbed four and popped the tops open before walking back in the living room, handing each man a beer before taking a seat next to Juice.

"I never figured you for the gaming type." Juice said pointing towards the Wii and XBOX360 that sat on her entertainment stand.

"Oh don't count me out. I can kick some ass." Juice scoffed.

"We'll see about that. I see a challenge in your future once you get settled in Charming."

"Bring it on pretty boy." Marissa quipped before noticing that Tig was flipping through a photo album that sat on your coffee table.

"Is this your mom?" Turning the album towards so Marissa can see, she simply nodded. It was a photo of her mom and herself when Marissa could be no more than 6. There were at Disneyworld and was posing with a few of the characters. Marissa's grin was so wide; you could see every missing tooth in her mouth. Marissa's mother, Angie, was a stunning woman with curves for days and long black hair that fell to the bottom of her back.

"She's beautiful. Does she live around here?"

"She passed about 10 years ago." Tig looked up with sympathy in his eyes.

"Sorry." Marissa was grateful for her ringing cell phone. She ran downstairs to pay for the pizzas. She grabbed plates for everyone and told them to dig in. While she ate, Marissa started to make a mental list of what needed to be done. She had asked Taylor to find her as many boxes as he could and he was supposed to be over tomorrow to drop them off. Once everyone was done eating and Marissa had cleaned up, she noticed that everyone seemed exhausted.

"I only have one extra bedroom so I hope the couches are comfortable. If you want, I think there may be an air mattress somewhere if you want to blow it up." Tig stood up.

"Don't worry about it doll. I'm sure the boys will be fine out here. I'm heading to the spare bedroom suckers." Marissa walked Tig to the bedroom and he kissed her on the cheek before wishing her a goodnight. She went in the hallway closet and pulled out a few blankets and pillows before heading back towards the living room.

"Thanks." Happy told her as he forced Juice to take the loveseat before Marissa announced that she was retiring for the night.

A few hours later, Happy's eyes opened when he heard a noise coming from the hallway. He made out Marissa's figure as she tried to quietly make her way down the hall. He watched underneath his eyelids as she looked to make sure both men were sleep. She opened up a cabinet and grabbed something before making her way out of the door, making Happy wonder where the hell she was going.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I just want to thank the time to everyone that has reviewed, listed this fic as a favorite or put an alert on it. I'm having so much writing this story and I have the next 5 chapters or so already playing out in my head so I hope to get a lot of writing down this weekend._

_This chapter is not as long as the others but I'm hoping I was able to get the point across. This chapter does contain sexual content so just fair warning. Okay, enough of my ramble. Enjoy_

* * *

><p>An hour later and Marissa still hadn't returned back to the apartment. Happy pushed the covers off of him, put on his shoes and grabbed his gun. He walked downstairs, his dark eyes taking in everything. He looked around the dark area and didn't see a sign of the woman anywhere. He was going to turn around and wake up Tig when he noticed a light coming from beneath a door. He cautiously opened the door and looked inside.<p>

It looked like the place was Marissa's office. He found her sitting on a desk with a drink in one hand and a lit cigarette in the ashtray next to her. She seemed to be staring at something in her lap. Her curly hair was down and framed her face so he couldn't get a look at her. He studied her tight red tank top and matching pajama shorts. Happy knocked on the door and Marissa looked up. He watched as her eyes changed quickly from pain to indifference. Happy was frustrated as hell at this girl's lack of emotions. She seemed to be in complete control at all times, barely even flinching when she saw her bar wrecked to shit. The only emotions that Happy had seen from Marissa were anger and content.

"Hey. Couldn't sleep?" Marissa asked as she motioned Hap to come inside. He shut the door behind him and took a seat in a chair in front of her.

"I heard you leave the apartment earlier. Just making sure you were alright." Marissa nodded as she hopped off the desk and walk around to a mini-fridge that was set up in the corner. She poured Happy a glass of Red Stag as well as refilling her own drink. She handed him the glass and resumed her position on the chair.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Marissa didn't offer anything else. The pair sat in silence as Sugarland's "Keep You" played softly in the background. He watched as Marissa finished her drink quickly and got up again to get some more. He picked up the frame that she had been staring at earlier. He held it up when she turned around. Marissa laughed slightly.

"My first dollar made in the bar. It was from Tara. She said some shit about it being tradition and good luck. You know, you don't have to sit here and babysit me. I'm just taking a walk down memory lane." Happy lit up a cigarette of his own and grabbed the ashtray.

"I'm not babysitting anyone. I'm simply having a drink in the presence of a beautiful woman." Happy looked around the room at the various pictures on the walls. It seemed that this girl liked to take a picture of everything. He looked at one of her and Tara dressed in what only could be a St. Patty's Day getup. They both had wide smiles on their face looking as if they didn't have a care in the world. It was a far cry from the woman sitting in front of him. He noticed another picture and asked a question that had been plaguing him for a few hours.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you mother pass away?" Marissa sighed loudly and looked inside her glass as if it could give her an answer. She was too drunk to even think about coming up with a lie. She adverted her eyes as she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

"She uh, met a guy named Chris when I was about 14 or so when were living in Miami. She fell for him hard; it was unlike anything I had ever seen before in my life. She was happy, I mean truly happy in the first time since I could remember. He was a good guy, didn't have any kids and we seemed to really get along. We moved in with him pretty quickly and everything was going great for a few years." Marissa closed her eyes as if lost in the memory.

"They had gotten engaged and we headed to check out some venues. Ma was so fucking excited. It would have been her first marriage. She was 36 and said this was the first time that she had ever felt true love. A couple of hours later, I got a phone call. Apparently, they had gotten into an accident on 395. The car had lost control and the cops said they had both died on impact." Happy swallowed a lump in his throat. His mother was the most important woman in his life and even the thought of losing her was something that he didn't think he would have been able to deal with. He turned back towards Marissa as she spoke again. "A couple of weeks later I found out the brake line on the car had been tampered with."

"Did they ever find out who did?"

"Nah. Chris had some…..questionable business associates. No cop in Miami wanted to touch the case and it just found itself buried in paperwork."

"Is that why you moved to Chicago?"

"No." The way she responded told Happy not to dig any further.

"My mom has cancer. Stage 2 Ovarian Cancer. Shit's eating her alive and she is fighting with everything she has." Happy didn't know why he felt compelled to share this with Marissa but he couldn't stop himself from telling her.

"Do you ever get pissed?" Happy raised an eyebrow so Marissa kept talking. "I mean, my mom was a good woman. She raised me by herself, busting her ass to make sure I had everything I ever wanted, taught me the importance of being able to take care of myself and all that other stuff. Then she finally found a sense of peace and love in her life and she's dead. I have done my fair of shit and yet I wake up every morning with a chance to make things right and my mother never got that chance."

"I never really thought about it that way. I just try to do everything I can for her now, keep her safe and I figure whatever happens next I will just deal with it then." The pair sat in silence, each enjoying their drink.

"So is Tara the only reason why you are moving to Charming?"

"She's the only family I got left. My ma's dead, no brother or sisters…my dad…well hell, who he is a fucking mystery. I've got nothing left for me here so I guess Charming is better than nothing." Happy leaned forward a bit on his chair and placed his forearms on his knees.

"No man?" When Marissa shook her head, he continued. "You don't strike me as the type of broad that would have trouble finding a man." Marissa let out a laugh as she chose her next words carefully.

"I'm a bit….complicated. I was never the kind of girl that played with her Barbie's and planned out her wedding. Plus I've always been accused of having walls up and all that other shit. Most guys don't want to stick around long enough to deal with a chick that isn't going to follow him like a lapdog." Prince's "Do Me Baby" started to play and Marissa took a long, hard look at Happy.

He sat there with a wife beater on, allowing Marissa to get a better look at the various tattoos plastered on his body. The tightness of the beater displayed a body toned to perfection. His large hands gripped his drink as his eyes seemed to be taking her all in. She felt the heat rise inside of her as Prince seemed to be singing directly to the two of them.

_Here we are in this big old empty room, staring each other down  
>U want me just as much as I want U, let's stop fooling around<br>Take me baby... kiss me all over... play with my love  
>Bring out what's been in me for far too long<em>

Happy stared at her but he didn't dare move. If she wanted him, she was going to have to make the first move. It didn't take long before she slid off the desk and made her way over to him. Placing both hands on the side of his face, Marissa leaned down until their lips met. It wasn't soft or romantic, it was pure lust. Happy allowed the drink that he had in his hand fall to the floor as he gripped both of her thighs, lifting her so was straddling him.

He reached under her shirt and quickly discarded it leaving him full access to the beautiful D cups that were her breast. Marissa titled her head back and let out a hiss as his mouth found a nipple. She kept a firm grip on the back of his head as he lifted both of them and placed her on the desk.

She pulled back and removed his beater and the found the button of his jeans. She didn't want any stupid promises or declarations; she just wanted to be fucked plan and simple. She needed to feel something…anything that was a sign that she was still alive. She was so lost in her thoughts that she let a loud gasp when Happy quickly removed her shorts and slid into her.

The contact was intense for both as if their bodies had been made for each other. The pace was quick and rough as Marissa bit down on Hap's shoulder while holding on to the edge of the desk and he held a firm grip on her waist forcing her to meet everyone of his quick thrusts. She went to move her hand between her legs but Happy slapped her away. She refused to look at him as she buried her face in his neck but Happy wasn't having it. He wanted her to know EXACTLY who was fucking the shit out of her right now. He pushed her back on the desk and stepped out of his jeans that had pooled around his knees.

Climbing on top of her, Happy gripped one of her thighs as he entered again, wrapping the leg around his waist. Her soft feminine moans were driving him insane; they were so different from the screams that usually came out of the whore's mouths that he normally slept with. He watched as she bit her lip and turned her head so that her hair framed her face.

Happy pulled her hair up towards him, forcing Marissa's eyes to open and focus on him. They continued to rock at a feverous pace while keeping eye contact. Happy started to feel Marissa's walls clenching around him and it wasn't long before her back arched and she came. A few minutes later, Happy was right after her.

They both tried to catch their breaths for a few minutes before Marissa gently pushed him out of her. She climbed off the desk and walked buck naked out the door. She returned a few minutes later with a dry and wet washcloth for both. She turned her back to him as she cleaned herself up. Happy instantly prepared himself for some big "what does this mean" chick bullshit speech. Instead Marissa simply pulled on her clothes, tossed the wash clothes in the garbage bin and wished him a goodnight, telling him to turn off the lights before he headed upstairs.


	9. Chapter 9

Marissa ran a towel through her hair as she stood in her bra and panties. Her eyes met the mirror and she saw the obvious finger marks on her hips as if to be a reminder of the events that took place last night. She grabbed her baggy sweats and pulled them on as her mind wandered. She needed that release last night and she was glad that Happy had been the one that was there. He was definitely in the top 3 when it came to men that she had slept with. Pulling down her tank, she threw her hair in a messy bun as there was a knock on the door.

"Hurricane, get your ass out here. You have to feed us if you want us to work." Marissa rolled her eyes at Tig, even though he couldn't see her. She opened the door and brushed past him, nudging his shoulder in the process.

Happy sat on the couch and watched as she came in the room. He wondered if she was going to be different since what happened last night: start becoming clingy or obvious to what had happened between the pair. The last thing he needed was some broad getting all possessive over him. Happy couldn't count the number of chicks that had chased him around begging to be an Old Lady after one night of fucking. He snorted to himself just thinking of the wrath of Gemma if he was to bring someone like that bitch Carly in the house on his arm for family dinner.

Marissa said good morning to both Juice and Happy before informing them she was going to run to the deli on the corner and get some breakfast since her kitchen was pretty empty. She also warned them that her former worker Taylor was on his way to drop off boxes and for the bikers to be nice in case she didn't make it back in time.

She ended up running into Taylor and his boyfriend Keith on her way back with her hands filled with coffee, bagels and muffins. She led the men upstairs and watched as the five guys worked to bring up more boxes than she had ever seen in one sitting. She hugged Taylor for a long time before handing him a check, thanking him for everything he had done over the past few years. Taylor and Keith both begged Marissa to stay in touch before leaving.

Marissa turned to look at the three men. She had no clue where she was going to start, so she figured she would start making three piles: take, throw away and charity. She grabbed three sets of multi-colored Post-Its before turning towards the guys.

"Okay, green Post-it means I'm taking it with me, blue is to be thrown away and pink I will pack up and drop off at the American Red Cross. I guess we can start in the living room, but I will go through my bedroom on my own."

"Don't want me in your panties doll face?" Tig asked jokingly. _I've already been there._ Happy said to himself but remained quiet. Marissa started placing post-its on various items and making conversation with everyone as they worked.

"What the hell is this?" Marissa looked up from a box she was taping to see what Juice was referring to. When she saw what he had in his hand, she couldn't stop the laughter from filling the room.

"Oh. My. God. I can't believe you found that. This was my first husband." Marissa exclaimed as she grabbed the Macho Man Randy Savage pillow buddy from Juice and held it close to her chest.

"So it goes in the trash pile right?" Marissa looked at Juice horrified.

"NO! He will be going to Cali with me." Juice shook his head at the way she talked about the pillow as it was a human being. He grinned at her before turning back towards the closet.

"Marissa?" She turned startled at Happy's raspy voice. It had been the first words he spoken to her all day. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her still cuddling the pillow, but gestured with his head towards the bathroom. "What do you wanna do with all the bathroom shit?" Marissa thought about it for a moment.

"I guess we can throw all that stuff away. It won't match at Tara's Dad house anyway. Oh, except the towels. I don't ever use them; they were mainly for decoration so I can give them away." Happy nodded while grabbing a trash bag. He chuckled as Tig grumbled to himself about "all these fucking books this chick has."

He started throwing stuff away and his mind wandered back to Marissa. She had been completely normal all day, not once showing any indication that something had occurred the night before. Happy should have been ecstatic about the fact that she was giving him lingering looks or being weird, but for some reason her indifference pissed him off.

Before anyone realized it, it was well past 5 o'clock and they were nearly halfway done. Tig said that the rate they were going, they could be back on the road by the day after tomorrow. Marissa was contemplating on what to order for dinner when Tig walked into the kitchen.

"Hey sweet cheeks. The retard wants to go see Millennium Park or some shit, so how about we pick up something to eat on our way back?" Marissa glared at Tig's nickname for Juice but answered him anyway.

"That should be fine. Do you want me to go with you?" Tig shook his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Nah. The kid has directions on his phone. We shouldn't be too long. You just relax; you have been working that pretty ass today." Marissa waved goodbye as she grabbed her phone to text Tara about the progress they had been making.

Marissa grabbed a beer and headed towards her bedroom. She figured with everyone gone, she could get a head start on going through her closet. She fumbled with her IPod before she found Aventura's CD and she lightly shook her hips to the Bachata music as she opened her closet. When she heard the knock on her open door, she didn't even look back.

"You guys get lost already? You could have just called."

"I never went." Marissa turned to see Happy leaning against the frame and she subconsciously licked her lips. "I'm not much for sight seeing. Can I come in?"

"Sure. Make yourself comfortable." Happy sat down on the chaise and simply watched as Marissa started throwing clothes out of her closet towards either the floor or the bed.

"Ugh." Marissa groaned about ten minutes later.

"Problem?"

"It looks like I am going to have to get rid of more than half of my wardrobe. Most of this shit is made for Chicago winters. Damn and I really liked this coat." She gestured to the knee length brown leather coat with fur trim in her hand. "Since you are here, can you grab me a few boxes from the living room?" Happy left the room and came back with four boxes and two more beers. He sat back down and stared at her.

"So last night…." Happy started causing Marissa to turn around and lean on the wall. _Christ, this is getting ready to be some pussy shit. Do I really need to have this conversation with her?_ She grabbed the beer from her dresser and nodded for him to continue. When she saw him struggling to get his next statement, she decided to help him.

"Don't worry Happy. I'm not going to start acting like some love sick teenager or anything." _Although I wouldn't mind grabbing that cowgirl hat from the back of my closet and play a round of giddy-up. _"It happened; it's over. If it happens again, I'm not going to unwelcome it, but I am not going to be hanging out at the clubhouse in a mini skirt waiting for your arrival. Look I'm not a crow eater who's going to be willing to drop down on her knees just because you want me to, but I do understand the concept of casual sex. Sometimes…you just need to scratch an itch." Marissa turned back to the closet leaving Happy a bit stunned.

* * *

><p>Two days later, the apartment was all packed up and everything was placed in either the van or the U-HAUL truck. Marissa had gotten to know the three men a little better and they had all developed a pretty good routine. The only major difference was that Happy seemed to talk a bit more. Marissa would never saw he was a motor mouth but he did interact with her a bit more, even joining in with some good natured ribbing at her expense.<p>

They walked downstairs and Marissa took a moment to look at her bar one last time. She placed her purse down and reached over to grab a black marker. Tig, Juice and Happy watched as she walked over to the wall and placed her hand on it. She bowed down her head but remained silent for a minute. When she finally moved her head up, she reached over for a chair and stood on top of it. She opened the marker and wrote on the wall in big black words:

**March 16th 2004- August 5th 2008**

Jumping down from the chair, she grabbed her purse and walked out the back door, feeling a part of her heart break. She jumped in the van with Juice and gave him directions to the parking garage that held Coyote. Looking back to make sure Tig and Happy were still behind them in the busy Chicago traffic, she seemed to make eye contact with Happy and the look he gave her made her shiver a bit. Pulling into the garage, Marissa opened the door before Juice could fully put the van in park.

"Hi baby." Marissa whispered. She carefully pulled the black covering off her car and she smiled from ear to ear.

"You have to let me drive that." Tig said as all the boys had made their way behind her.

"The hell you will." She walked around the car, inspecting it to make sure there were no dents or marks since it had been sitting untouched for the past two weeks. Satisfied with her inspection, she looked up to see the guys clearly impressed.

"So what's the story behind the car?" Juice asked. "Because not many chicks own a car like this unless it used to belong to their old man or something." Marissa rolled her eyes at the slightly sexist remark.

"I found ol' Coyote at a car auction. It was damn near gutted on the inside, but the body for the most part was still in tact. I got him real cheap and decided to make him my side project. I had to put in a whole new interior and I was going to keep it a classic but I figured I would never want to sell it so I sort of hooked up the inside with a high tech radio and navi system. A friend of mine painted it and made sure to match it up to the original green paint with the black racing strip. I had to restock the engine and the maintenance needs to be retweaked every 10,000 miles or so but he's my baby."

"Do you drive it often?" Marissa shook her head.

"Not nearly as much as I would have liked to. The weather conditions sometimes make it hard and everything I needed was always in walking distance. I must admit: I'm excited to finally put him through the paces." Her eyes lit up like Christmas morning. Everyone got in their respective vehicles and waited for Marissa to lead the way.

She got comfortable and allowed herself a moment to take in the smell of her car. She ran a hand over the wheel and grinned at the Roadrunner staring at her from the horn with the words "Beep! Beep!" underneath the picture. One thing she didn't mention was that when she originally started building the car; she had wanted it to be a racing car. She had gotten into the illegal racing scene when she was a teenager and had won more races than she lost.

Once she turned the key over, the car roared to life as if saying "Hello mommy, I've missed you." That sound could sometimes be better than sex. As Marissa finally pulled out of the parking garage, she looked at Happy in her rearview mirror. _But only sometimes. _Marissa mused.

"What the fuck are you doing? I'm starving over here and I would like to get a shit and shower before going to sleep." Marissa flipped Tig the bird out of the window but made no motion to get out of the car.

They didn't understand that the Coyote was her baby and needed to be treated as such. She couldn't just turn him off and slam the door. Oh no, it was a bit more complicated than that. She had to shut down and bleed off the NOS system. She had to make sure the turbo timer was set to let the engine run and cool down for the right length of time based on how hot the engine was. If she didn't it would cause something called coking in the turbo and that'll be the end of it. Then she had to reset the computer systems. Finally she had to turn the stereo off. It had been the longest trip Coyote had ever taken and Marissa wanted to make sure that nothing went wrong.

When she was fully satisfied, Marissa got out the car and gently shut the door. "Alright, alright let's go." Marissa walked past them and muttered under her breath. "Impatient fuckers."

* * *

><p>Three days, Marissa found herself in the bedroom of her new room with Abel, Tara and Gemma. They were there to help her unpack and set up. Marissa had to appreciate Gemma's ability to get shit done. By the time she had arrived back in Charming, Gemma had made sure all the walls were repainted the colors that Marissa had requested. There was also a brand new refrigerator, washer, dryer and patio furniture. When Marissa began to complain, Gemma and Tara waved her off saying to consider it a housewarming gift from SMACRO.<p>

Marissa was going through boxes and trying desperately to ignore the fact that Gemma and Tara were staring at her. Tara, having known the younger woman for years, knew that something was up with her. She had a slight bounce to her step that hadn't been there before she had left for Chicago. When asked how the trip went, Marissa simply smiled and said it was "fun, all things considered." Other than that, she had yet to offer any more information.

Marissa placed her bras in a drawer and slammed it shut before turning to the two women. "Alright I am getting ready to say something and when I do, you…" She pointed to Tara. "will not smirk, grin, clap your hands, jump and down or look smug or I will be forced to smack you."

Marissa took a big dramatic breath after Tara nodded. "I fucked him." Gemma and Tara both didn't need to ask who. That answer was obvious. While Marissa had been in Chicago, Tara had told Gemma about Happy taking Marissa to the grocery store on the back of his bike. Gemma told Tara that he had all but jumped at the chance to go to Chicago when she asked the boys. Tara tried like hell to not smile; she knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. However knowing Marissa, Tara could never quite tell if something was going to happen.

"Now before you get your panties in a twist and think about buying me his and her motorcycle jackets, let me stop you right there. This is not a fairytale or the beginning of some fucked up relationship. We will not have cute pet names for each other or start feeding each other food. It was just a fuck. ONE fuck, nothing more, nothing less." Marissa walked out the room when she heard the doorbell, signaling that some of the guys had been there to help re-tile the bathroom.

Gemma and Tara looked at each other for a moment, letting Marissa's speech whirl around in their heads. "Do you believe a word of that bullshit?" Gemma asked and Tara simply gave her a look.

"Yeah, me neither."


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: This is more of a filler chapter, showing Marissa's first week in Charming and how she starts to settle in with everyone. It also has more insight to her and Happy's "casual" relationship._

* * *

><p>Marissa sat on the floor of her new living room that looked like the aftermath of a tornado. She was concentrating on the task in front of her when she heard a knock on the door. Figuring it was either Tara who was supposed to be on her way or Juice who was coming over to set up her entertainment system, she didn't hesitate to tell who every it was to come in.<p>

"Letting people in your home without knowing who it is may not be the smartest thing to do around here." Marissa looked up to see Happy standing in front of her. He was dressed in a white t-shirt, dark baggy jeans that hung low on his hips and his infamous cut. She smirked before reaching next to her and holding up her 45 Glock.

"I'm prepared." Marissa answered with an air of confidence. Happy looked down at the woman. He was amazed how she could make loud Elmo pajamas and matching socks look sexy. "So what's up?" Marissa looked up at him.

"Just checking up on you."

"There have been no major changes in my life since I seen you _yesterday_."

"I could leave." Happy pointed towards the door.

"No, I apologize. I'm just frustrated, no need for me to take it out on you. Please…sit down. Do you want a beer?" Happy declined the beer but did sit down on the loveseat. "This is my first house, even if I am renting and I want it to be a certain way. I have this vision in my head and I can't really put it together in reality and it's just a bit of a pain in the ass."

Happy looked at the various empty photo frames in front of her. She seemed to be going through pictures trying to decide which ones she wanted to put in what frame. He looked around and admitted the little touches she made to the three bedroom home was a massive improvement. The walls were painted a dark grey which seemed to contrast nicely with her deep red furniture. Sitting in the middle of the loveseat, couch and singular seat was a glass table with grey legs. Happy noticed that most of the pictures she was going through were black and white shots as if those were the only ones she wanted in the living room.

"So how have you been?" Marissa asked while still thumbing through photos and putting them in various piles.

"The same I was when you asked _yesterday_." Marissa looked up and gave him a playful glare.

"Smartass." Throwing down the pictures, she stood up. "Hey, can you do me a favor? I have a mirror I want to put on that wall and you are tall enough to do that." She pointed to a large mirror that was surrounded in grey, black and red tile. Happy got up and prepared to help her. She was adorable as she seemed to look for the perfect place before directing him on where it went. Once he was done putting in the last nail, she looked up and thanked him.

Happy figured it was her eyes that did him in. Those big hazel eyes surrounded by long thick lashes were going to be the fucking death of him. Before he could stop himself, he pulled Marissa closer and brought her head towards him. Just as there lips were getting ready to meet, they heard the front door open and Marissa quickly jumped back.

"Hello?" Tara asked as she walked in the living room with Abel in a car seat. She stopped in her tracks at the sight in front of her. "Oh, hey Happy."

"Hey Tara. I gotta head back to the garage."

"Thanks Happy for the mirror." Marissa answered sincerely. Happy simply nodded and walked around Tara to head to the front door. Once they heard the door shut, Marissa pointed a finger at Tara.

"Don't even fucking say it." Tara placed a hand on her hip but remained quiet. _One fuck my ass._

* * *

><p>"So you fucked her." Was the statement, rather than question that Happy heard when he was tying up his work boots. He looked up from his bed to see Jax leaning on the doorway with a knowing smirk on his face.<p>

"What makes you say that?" Happy asked, refusing to give in to Jax's smirk.

"Tara mentioned it."

"So you and Tara lie in bed and discuss my sex life?" Happy stood up and grabbed his shirt before buttoning it up over his muscular chest. Jax laughed at his friend.

"Don't flatter yourself asshole. It was just something that came up."

"My ass." Happy growled as he walked past the VP and headed downstairs, Jax quickly on his heels. Before they reached the front door, Happy abruptly turned around and looked at the blonde man.

"Is this the part where you tell me that she's Tara's best friend and I better not hurt her or some other bullshit? Because it's nothing serious, it was just one fuck. Tell Tara that I have no intention of corrupting her best friend and sending her running for the hills so she can stop worrying."

Jax thought back to the conversation he had with Tara the night before. She said that Marissa was not the type of girl to turn into mush over some dude; she was too strong for that. Tara had said that Marissa had not been in a real relationship in years. She always seemed to search out guys that she couldn't get attached to so that she could end it quickly and move on. However, Tara also mentioned that Marissa's outburst when telling them about sleeping with Happy was a sign that it might end being more than a one time deal.

"Nah bro, I ain't going to give you any lecture as long as there is not a need to give one. You're grown and so is Rissa. Like I said, Tara just happened to mention it." Walking towards the garage, Jax couldn't help but agree with his old lady's words. _Yeah, there is definitely something there._

* * *

><p>"TARA!" Marissa yelled as she walked in Tara and Jax's house. She walked into the living room and stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting down watching TV were Opie, Jax, Chibs and Happy. <em>Jesus, he's fucking EVERYWHERE.<em>

She said hello to everyone and grabbed Abel from Jax, placing a kiss on the little boy's cheek as she spoke to him. She was standing there in a pair of tight yoga pants, tank top, sneakers and her long hair was pulled into a side braid. Tara appeared from the back bedroom still dressed in her scrubs being that she just got off work.

"Go find some workout gear."

"For what?" Marissa rolled her eyes and looked down at Abel.

"For someone that went to med school, your mommy is a little slow." Tara rolled her eyes as Marissa addressed her again. "Because it's normally what people wear to work out. I finally found a damn gym in this town and they are having a Zumba class tonight and I want to check it out."

"What the hell is Zumba?" Jax asked from his position on the couch.

"It's this new workout class that teaches you different dances and being as though I have yet to find a club around here that allows me to shake my ass; I figured the class is the next best thing." When Tara shot her an odd look, Marissa sighed impatiently. "Look chick, I have been knee deep in boxes for the past four days. I need to do something so can you please get your ass in the bedroom, put on some clothes and let's go."

Tara turned around cussing Marissa out the whole time. The doctor threw up her middle finger when Marissa yelled. "Some exercising _out_ of the bedroom is good for your health." The boys laughed before turning back to the game on television.

* * *

><p>"Why are we here again?" Marissa asked as she stepped out of the Cutlass and looked around.<p>

"Because we are picking up Gemma so we can all go out to lunch. Gemma caught a ride here with Chibs so that she could go over some shit with Luanne." Marissa looked around at the various porn stars standing outside of Caracara. Some were smoking, others were on their cell phone, but all of them seemed to be wearing next to nothing.

"Can't we just call her and tell her to bring her ass outside?" Tara pulled Marissa's hand and dragged her to the door.

"I don't like this place anymore than you do, but you got a sense of how Gemma is. The woman loves to talk so if we don't drag her out, we will be waiting forever."

Marissa took in the porn studio with a mixture of fascination and disgust. It was surprisingly clean for a place that was filled with cum. She watched Luanne bark orders in between talking to Gemma. She looked towards Chibs and Juice sitting on a couch and looking at a sex scene playing out in front of them. Juice even had the nerve to be eating a bag of chips like he was sitting in his living room.

Tara and Marissa took a seat on the couch after Gemma spotted them and lifted her finger up to imply that she was wrapping up and would be ready shortly. Marissa raised an eyebrow at the two men.

"We're just checking on our investment, love." Marissa snorted at Chibs.

"I'm sure." She knew that she shouldn't but she couldn't stop herself from watching the porn in front of her. She glanced over at Tara who seemed to be having the same battle. It was like a train wreck: you didn't really want to stop and stare, but you just could not help yourself.

Tara turned her head to the side at the scene playing out in front of the group. "That does _not _look comfortable."

"Trust me it's not." Chibs, Juice and Tara all turned to look at Marissa.

* * *

><p>"You're on crack!" Marissa exclaimed as she took a sip of her beer addressing the man sitting with her at the table. "Plain and simple, it is the only explanation for that shit you just said."<p>

Tig glared at her while Clay smirked, utterly amused by this heated debate. "You are out of your fucking mind, you know that right? I can't believe that you would even say that to me. You do not have a fucking leg to stand on when it comes to this issue."

"What the hell is going on?" Opie asked Jax as he walked up to the tail end of the conversation. Tara frowned while giving a small wave to Kenny who had came into the clubhouse with his father.

"Trust me; you do not want to know." Everyone turned back toward to Marissa when she spoke up.

"I don't have a leg to stand on? That's it; Clay, give this man a piss test because he is clearly stoned. Only a crack head would say that Cyclops was better than Gambit."

"Cyclops could shoot shit out of his eyes."

"Who can't even turn it on and off, making him wear stupid glasses at all times like a moron. Gambit, on the other hand, could kill you with a playing card. A playing card? Do you even realize how bad ass that is?"

"Cyclops married Jean Grey who was like the hottest chick there."

"He couldn't even keep her happy; she kept running back to Wolverine. Besides, Rouge was way hotter than Jean Grey. Not the movie version that was a kid, but the cartoon version with the red hair and the southern accent. The only female cartoon character that was hotter than that was Jessica Rabbit."

"Are you shitting me right now?" Tig threw his arms up in frustration.

"Are they seriously fighting about the X-Men?" Tara looked at Opie.

"I told you that you didn't want to know."

* * *

><p>"It seems we meet again." Marissa looked up from her the two items in her items. She had been standing in the bathroom aisle of Wal-Mart for the past twenty minutes debating between dolphins and fish for her blue bathroom.<p>

"Oh right, you're that cop I saw a couple weeks ago." Marissa responded before glancing back at the shower curtains.

"David Hale."

"Marissa Ramirez."

"I've never seen you before you came to pick up Gemma." Marissa bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from sighing loudly.

"I just moved here from Chicago. I'm a friend of Tara's." Marissa stated in a flat tone, hoping that Hale got the hint and went the fuck on with his day.

"Since you are new here, let me offer you a piece of advice: stay away from SAMCRO. They are dangerous and involving yourself with them could not end well for you."

"From what I saw they are just a motorcycle club that enjoys booze, bikes and bitches. That hardly makes them deadly. Thanks for the warning but I'm more than capable of making my own decisions."

"Marissa?" Marissa shut her eyes before turning to look behind her. She let out a big smile when she saw who had called her name. She had never been so happy to see Lyla. She accepted a hug from the woman before turning back to Hale.

"Are we done here?"

"Just….heed my warning." Hale said before walked away. Lyla spoke the woman.

"How's the house coming along?" Marissa finally decided on the dolphin shower curtain and threw it in the cart. She then started to look for accessories as she answered Lyla.

"It's a big fucking headache but I'm making progress. The living room is the only thing that is completely finished and I believe that's only because Juice was in charge of setting my entertainment system so he made sure the living room was done, allowing him to play games at my house. How are you?"

"Good. Just here to pick up some things for my son, Piper. He has a school project and there is list of shit that he needs. Marissa, can I ask you a question?"

Lyla looked at Marissa before asking. Things have started to heat up between Lyla and Opie. They had yet to have sex, but he did kiss her which seemed to be major progress. She knew that Marissa wasn't an old lady but she was Tara's best friend so Lyla was hoping she might be able to help.

"Sure. What's up?"

"My….profession, does it bother you? I saw you at Caracara the other day and you looked disgusted."

"Porn doesn't bother me; watching it up closely does. As far as what you do, trust me when I tell you that I don't have room to pass judgment. You have to do what needs to be done to pay the bills and I'm not one to knock a hustle. I will say this though: you seem to be able to know how to hit the off button. You carry yourself a lot better than a lot of these bitches I have seen. You do your job but when you walk out of that place, you are not a porn star. You are simply a single mother with a major crush on a biker. Let that be the thing that defines you, not anything else."

Lyla couldn't stop herself. She launched her arms around Marissa. Marissa returned the hug and smiled at the tiny woman.

"Give me your number. Once the house is done, you can come over for drinks and some girl talk."

* * *

><p>"Hey Gem?" Gemma looked up from her paperwork when she heard her name. Marissa waved at Kip who had dropped something on the desk before walking outside.<p>

"Hey baby. What's up? I thought you weren't going to start working til Monday."

"I'm not here to work, well at least not do any work here. Do you think one of the guys can loan me a pickup truck for a few hours? I'll leave my car here and pick it back it up when I drop the truck off."

"Do you need any help with something?"

"No. I just want to pick up a few things and I know it's not going to fit in Coyote." Gemma stood up and started to walk towards the garage.

"Sure thing baby. Let's go talk to the guys to see what one you can use." The two women were standing in the back of the garage as the guys worked. Gemma scanned the room looking for Clay but Marissa's eyes seemed to be focused on Happy. More specifically, she was focused on the bleach blonde, silicone filled chick standing next to him. The chick seemed to be trying to get Happy's attention as he was changing a tire. Marissa felt a sense rage fill her insides.

_I am NOT jealous. I do NOT get jealous and I certainly don't get jealous when it comes to a one night stand. I will remain calm and collected. I will be no means, kill this fake bitch and drop her body off in a ditch. I will not kick Happy's balls into his throat for entertaining this bitch._

She looked over at an open tool box just as Gemma went over to talk to Clay. She could hear the various conversations that were taking place around her but it was one particular voice that caused her to pay attention.

"Wow you seem to really know what you're doing. I've always had a question: what's the difference between a wrench and a screwdriver?

_Did this bitch really? _Marissa asked herself. In a move that shocked her and pissed her off at the same time, Marissa picked up a torque wrench and threw it clear across the garage.

"OW!" Everyone stopped to stare at the outburst as the torque wrench hit the sweet butt's shoulder before hitting the floor with a clank. Slowly Marissa noticed that she had 9 sets of eyes staring at her.

"Sorry." Marissa said in a tone that was anything but apologetic. "What? It slipped out of my hand. Besides, she wanted to know the difference between a wrench and a screwdriver, so I figured I would help out."

Gemma handed her a set of keys and told her that it was for the white Ford pickup and Marissa walked out of the garage, not once looking back.

* * *

><p>Happy turned his motorcycle off but made no attempt to get off. Instead he leaned back and took in the view in front of him. After Marissa's outburst, the guys sat and talked amongst themselves about what could have made her do that, to which Gemma replied that they all couldn't be "that fucking stupid" before heading back in the office.<p>

A few hours later, Marissa had returned the truck. She walked in the office to talk to Gemma but she didn't acknowledge anyone else as she walked across the lot and got in her car. Now Happy was sitting in her driveway watching her mow the lawn. _That must have been what she wanted the truck for._

She was working on the lawn wearing nothing but a bikini top and shorts. She had her IPod hooked to her ears and she seemed to be in complete concentration. Once she had finished the front yard, she looked up and saw Happy relaxing on his bike.

"Hey." Marissa spoke as she motioned for him to follow her back in the house.

"You mow your own lawn? When did you ever need to do that living in an apartment?" Marissa rolled her eyes.

"I didn't always live in that apartment. I did have a yard once."

"Why didn't you tell Gemma that you needed help? I'm sure she would have sent the prospect over to do that for you." Marissa glanced out the kitchen window where she had been washing her hands at the sink. She looked over the yard that was even and green. It looked great in the August sun.

"Because I didn't need help. There is no sense in getting someone to do the work that I can do myself." Marissa handed Happy a beer out the fridge before grabbing herself a can of Diet Coke and going in the living room.

"What's with the wood?" Happy pointed to the wood pieces leaning against her wall.

"I'm turning one of the bedrooms into a relaxation room."

"A what?"

"It's sort of like a play room but decorated more for my style. The wood is so that I can make shelves to place all of my books." Marissa set her can down on the coaster. "What are you doing here Happy?"

"What was your issue with the crow eater? Why did you throw something at her?:

_Because her pushing her boobs in your face was pissing me off._ Marissa thought to herself but that was not going to be the answer she gave Hap.

"Call it the inner feminist in me. Nothing pisses me off than a woman who acts like she doesn't know the difference between a wrench and spatula. It doesn't make them cute, which they are trying to be. Instead it makes them pathetic and stupid." Marissa stood and lifted her arms above her.

"If you are not doing anything you can hang out here. I'm going to jump in the shower and then order some takeout if your hungry. My kitchen is not done yet so I won't be cooking for awhile." She handed him the remote and walked away. Marissa figured if he was there when she got out the shower, then she would order enough food for two. If not, then she was no better or worse than before.

Happy turned on the television and was mindlessly flipping through channels. He heard the shower turn on but he tried to ignore it. He had a feeling that the wrench incident was more about him than some damn feminist bullshit. But why would she feel any type of way? She was the one that gave that "casual sex" speech.

Happy let his mind wander for a minute. He thought about the hot water cascading down Marissa's body hitting each and every curve. He imagined her hair wet running down her back. As he was thinking, he felt the tightness in his pants. Standing up he walked to the front door and locked it. He did not want anyone to walk in unannounced. He walked towards the bathroom and heard her singing softly to herself.

Happy shed his clothing and thought about how he was going to approach the situation. Her shower curtain was dark so he knew that she couldn't see him. He grabbed the curtain and pulled it back. Marissa looked at him briefly.

If she was surprised at seeing him standing in front of stark naked, she didn't show it. Instead she just moved to the side, allowing him to come in. He pushed her on the tiled wall and ran a hand over her body. His hands stopped at a tattoo on her right hip. He didn't remember that a few days ago but then again he hadn't really taken the time to analyze her body. The tattoo looked some sort of zodiac sign and he traced it with his finger.

He looked down at Marissa, who had remained quiet, just allowing her eyes to follow his hands. Knowing that was probably a stupid idea, Happy pulled her closer and it wasn't long before he had lit her insides on fire.


	11. Chapter 11

41 days. That was how long normalcy lasted in Charming before everything turned to shit. Marissa had finally started to feel settled in the small town. She had a decorated house, a job and even found a good place to get her bi-weekly pedi and eyebrow waxing. She spent her days at the garage, filing paperwork and interacting with Gemma and the boys. Her nights were spent doing various activities. She would have girl time with Tara, babysit Abel or there were a few nights of Call of Duty with Juice as Tig ate her out of house and home. She found out that Chibs had a secret love for poetry when he had stopped by to help her put up her bookshelves. She met Mary, Opie's mother and Piney's ex, giving her better insight to both men. She had even been able to throw an old fashioned slumber party with Gemma, Lyla and Tara, giving the porn star a chance to interact with the other females and start to feel more comfortable.

As far as Marissa and Happy, not much had changed. They had a few sexual encounters that were filled with lust and passion, but they never let it get any further. If they were at Marissa's, Happy made sure to never spend the night and Marissa was okay with that. She figured there was no sense in acting like they were on the verge of something that wasn't there. She hadn't seen Happy in over a week and she had to turn back to her good old man Bob to get through. Gemma had explained that Happy had gone NOMAD as a way to spend more time with his mother in Bakersfield since he was technically a part of the Tacoma chapter.

Marissa had been sleep for a few hours, comfortable in her cotton Egyptian sheets. She heard a noise but decided to ignore it. A few seconds later the noise got louder and that's when Marissa realized that someone was banging on her front door. With her eyes still closed, she grabbed a t-shirt from a nearby chair and fumbled her way towards the offending noise. When she yanked the door open, her eyes went wide.

"What the fuck?" She moved aside as Tara and Wayne ushered a battered and beaten Gemma inside and placed her on the living room couch. Gemma avoided eye contact with anyone as Tara started pulling medical supplies out of her bag. Wayne simply stood in the background with a worried expression on his face as he paced back and forth. No one answered Marissa's question.

"Again I say what the fuck?" Wayne placed his hand on Gemma's shoulder making her jump.

"I have to call Clay."

"NO!" Gemma yelled. "You can not tell Clay or Jax or anyone. Do you hear me?" Tara focused on putting her gloves on to stop herself from saying anything.

"Gemma what happened to you…"

"What happened to me wasn't about me." Marissa looked at Gemma and saw the blood on her jeans and the haunted look on her face. Tara made eye contact with Marissa as she heard the woman take a shaky breath but remained silent.

"What do you mean sweetheart?"

"What those animals did. It was to hurt Clay and Jax. Anyone finds out, they win. I can't let that happen." Wayne threw his hands up in the air as if to say _here we go again._ Tara worked in silence before Gemma finally addressed Marissa.

"I'm assuming I don't have to tell you to keep your mouth shut. I came here because Jax is home and I'm not sure what time Clay will be back."

"Don't worry; Marissa knows how to keep a secret." There seemed to be a hidden meaning behind Tara's words that made Gemma believe it to be true.

"So who did this?" Marissa asked and Gemma shot her a look. "If you want me to keep your secret, you could at least give me some information."

"Zobelle's henchmen." Marissa thought back to a few weeks ago when there was an altercation between these new white supremacists that moved into town and SAMCRO. Clay had been pissed but told the women that everything was fine. Obviously he underestimated his new rivals.

"Gemma, I have to get you to the hospital."

"NO! No hospitals, no cops."

"Gemma, I have to give you an examination in case…." Tara couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence.

"So what? You plan on hiding out here for the next two weeks? Cause unless you have some sort of miracle make up kit, people are going to have questions." Marissa understood that this was difficult for Tara and she was trying to coddle Gemma but Marissa knew that the older woman needed a swift dose of reality. Every sat lost in their own thoughts, the only noise came from the buzzing under the refrigerator. Marissa stood up, startling everyone.

"I have an idea."

* * *

><p>Marissa sat in the waiting room of St. Thomas with Abel on her lap. She had been nervous for the past few hours, hoping that her plan would work. She had sent Neeta home, saying that she would take care of Abel. She mainly did that because she couldn't take the nanny's questioning stares any longer. She looked up as she heard commotion coming from the hallway. She stood up as Clay, Tig, Bobby and Jax all but ran into the room.<p>

"Where is she? Is she alright?" Marissa felt a tad bit guilty at the anguished look on Clay's face but quickly swallowed the feeling away. She could not afford to fuck this up by getting emotional.

"Tara is with her right now running some tests."

"What the hell happened? Unser said her car was fucking totaled." Jax asked.

"All I know is that she got into a car accident. I haven't been able to see her since I got here."

"So I'm just supposed to sit here and wait to find out what the FUCK is going on with my wife? GOD DAMNIT!" Clay picked up a chair and threw it against the wall. The noise started Abel awake and he started to cry. Marissa moved over to the other side of the room and tried to soothe the baby. She heard Tig and Bobby quietly trying to get Clay to hold it together as Jax just flopped down in the chair next to Marissa. Abel's cries intensified as if he could feel all the stress going on around him. Marissa didn't know too many nursery rhymes but she could distinctly remember one that her mother used to sing. Technically it was meant to be sung to a little girl but Marissa figured she would give it a shot. Softly she started to sing as she rocked the baby gently to her chest.

_A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella  
>Mi Nina tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea<br>A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella  
>Mi Nina tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea<em>

Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora  
>Ruisenor que en la selva cantando llora<br>Calla mientras la cuna se balansea  
>A la nanita nana, nanita ella<p>

She let out a soft smile as the trick seemed to work and Abel slowly fell back asleep. She watched Jax jump up as Tara walked into the waiting room. She put her hand up as four different voices started talking at once.

"She's going to be fine. There is a lot of bruising from the air bag going off so she looks a lot worse than she is. She also has two bruised ribs so she is going to have to take it easy for awhile. I would like to keep her overnight for observation but she should be able to go home tomorrow." She looked over at Marissa who smiled and nodded. _Good job chica. _Marissa knew that lying to Jax about his mother was torture for Tara and she was proud of her best friend for keeping it together.

"I'm going to take Abel home with me. You guys can pick him up when you are done. Tell Gemma I wish her well and call me if she needs _anything._" Marissa took the baby and walked towards the elevator, wondering how many more secrets she was going to have to keep before her head exploded.

* * *

><p>"Why the hell are we doing this again?" Marissa asked as she glared at a mask while walking through Halloween Adventure with Tara.<p>

"It was Gemma's idea. She said that things have been tense lately in the club and she thinks a Halloween party could lift some spirits and ease some of the tension. Personally, I think that she is doing any and everything to keep herself busy and her mind off of what happened." It had been two weeks since Gemma's attack and saying things had been tense would be like saying that Katrina was just a rainstorm. Things had been down right hostile and shit went real nasty a few days ago when Clay threw a cinderblock through Gemma's car window after an intense fight at Caracara.

Tara had confided in Marissa that she wasn't doing too much better with Jax. The guilt was eating at her slowly and it was starting to affect her relationship. It seemed like everyday Marissa was reassuring Tara that they had done the right thing.

"I don't understand why we have to dress up. Halloween is supposed to be the one time of year that girl's are allowed to dress slutty. Considering that 99 percent of the bitches that are going to be there dress like sluts everyday, what's really the big deal?" Marissa rolled her eyes at some of the costumes.

"For someone who has been getting laid on a constant basis, you are sure in a pissy mood." Marissa turned to look at Tara who was focused on a nurse's costume. "Don't look at me like that: I know you." Instead of answering, Marissa just smacked her friend's hand.

"No. You are a doctor everyday; dressing like a sexy nurse is just unimaginative."

"Avoiding what I just said now? I thought that thing with Happy was just a one time deal." Marissa looked around for something to throw at Tara. Finding nothing, she decided to just feed into the woman's curiosity.

"It's not a big deal. It's just sex. I need it, he's good at it: it's a win-win. Besides, it doesn't happen as often as you would like to believe and from what I have heard, he is still finding time to service the porn stars."

"Does that bother you?" Ah, the big question that Marissa herself was trying to avoid. The logical answer was to say no but there was this nagging voice in the back of her head that was saying the opposite and it was really starting to piss her off. The conversation that they had about his mother back in Chicago was the last deep thing he had said to her. When they had sex, there was little talking. Get in, get off and get out seemed to be their motto. So why was the idea of other chicks riding him pissing her off?

"No it doesn't bother me. He's not my man, Tara and I'm damn sure not his old lady. He is free to do what he wants, with who he wants. Now can we please pick out a fucking costume and get out of here before something jumps out at me and I get arrested for punching a worker in the face?"

* * *

><p>Marissa had to hand it to Gemma. For a woman whose life was in complete and total shambles, the woman knew how to throw a party. Marissa walked into the clubhouse and looked around. It was filled with a mix of bikers, porn stars, old ladies and friends. As expected, the bikers weren't dressed up and the porn stars looked like….well porn stars. Marissa spotted Gemma across the room dressed as Morticia while talking to Luanne who looked like some sort of belly dancers.<p>

Marissa made her way over to Opie and Lyla. She smiled at Kip and signaled for a beer as she wrapped her arms around Lyla's shoulder, causing the young woman to turn around and hug her new friend.

"Okay, you look down right adorable." Marissa exclaimed as she took in Lyla's costume. She was dressed like Strawberry Shortcake, complete with striped knee socks, a bonnet and pink pigtails.

"You look amazing." Lyla exclaimed while Opie nodded his head.

"Don't take offense; but you look hot, Rissa." Marissa blushed before she spotted Tara over by the pool table. Excusing herself Marissa grabbed her beer and made her way over. Tara had dressed up as a sexy version of Snow White and with her dark hair and pale skin, Tara looked great. Marissa wasn't sure if Jax even noticed Tara's outfit as his eyes seemed to be fixated on the cleavage that her push up bra had given her.

"For someone that was complaining about dressing up, you seem to have finally gotten in the spirit."

"Yeah well go big or go home right?" Marissa said as she did a silly turn to show off her costume. She was dressed like a senorita. Her black and red lace halter dress came down to her upper thigh. Her legs held black knee high stockings and she paired the look with 4 inch black pumps. She had put her hair into a side bun that was held together with a big red flower. Her eyes were lined with dark makeup and her lips were blood red.

About an hour later, Marissa was standing at the bar enjoying the sight of Tara and Gemma laughing at Bobby's attempt to teach Juice how to do the "Time Warp." She figured as long as Gemma and Tara seemed happy, if only for a night, then this whole party had been worth it. Her costume had gotten rave reviews from all the guys but she had yet to see the one that she wanted to impress the most.

"Does this mean you will beg me to fuck you in Spanish tonight?" The whispered raspy voice tickled Marissa's ear and sent a shiver down her spine. She looked up as Happy moved to stand next to her and stick his hand out to grab Kip's attention. Turning her head back towards the dance floor, she answered without looking at him.

"Maybe." She heard Happy's deep chuckle but kept her eyes looking ahead. The last thing she needed was for Tara or Gemma to spot them. She would never live it down. Happy grabbed two beers off the bar and as he walked past her, he made sure she heard him.

"Don't go to sleep. I'll be at your house tonight."

* * *

><p>It was almost three in the morning before Marissa had finally made it home. She was more than a little drunk and giggled slightly as she almost lost her balance as she made it to the front door. She had lost track of Happy sometime in between dancing with the girls and playing some drinking game with Tig and Chibs. The last time she had seen him, he had two crow eaters sitting on his lap as his eyes stayed fixed on her.<p>

Singing to herself, she grabbed a beer out the fridge and headed towards the living room. She figured she would wait for Happy until she finished her beer and if he hadn't shown up by then, she was going to take her drunk ass to bed. She did a little dance as she turned on the living room light. When she turned around again, she let out a loud scream.

"HOLY FUCK!" Happy sat on her couch, amusement playing in his eyes. "The sitting in the dark room in a house that's not yours thing? It's a bit fucking creepy. How long have you been here?" Marissa placed her hand on her heart as she tried to catch her breath.

"You didn't see my bike parked out by the sidewalk? And didn't we have a talk about making sure your doors our locked? That includes the back sliding door." Marissa hadn't seen the bike but that was more due to the fact that she was concentrating on getting home in one piece.

"I didn't think you were going to show up.'

"I told you I would." Happy stood up from the couch and made his way towards Marissa.

"You seemed a bit occupied."

"Jealous?"

"Annoyed." This back and forth banter between the two was such a turn on for Marissa. It was rare for her to find someone that could go toe to toe with her and the fact that Happy could made her a bit delirious. She closed her eyes as Happy's mouth found a sensitive spot on her neck.

"Por eso, ¿qué planea hacer conmigo?" _So what do you plan on doing with me? _Marissa whispered in a breathless voice. Happy jerked back from her neck and looked into her eyes.

"Do you have plans for this outfit after tonight?" When Marissa shook her head, Happy quickly ripped the dress from her body and pinned her to the wall.

* * *

><p>Marissa couldn't stop the groan from escaping her lips when she heard her cell phone ringing in the middle of the night. She had the day from hell. She was stuck at the garage all by herself, which was becoming more and more of a common occurrence lately. She tried to understand that Gemma's mind was elsewhere but she desperately needed a break.<p>

There was also a shouting match between Clay and Jax that caused her a massive headache. It seemed like King and Prince were not seeing eye to eye more often lately and the bickering was getting on her fucking nerves. Add that to a bitchy client and the coffee pot breaking, all Marissa wanted to do was go home and sleep. She was so exhausted that she turned down Happy when he leaned in the office and offered to relive some of her tension. Anytime Marissa turned down sex; she knew that she needed to get some serious rest.

"What?" Marissa barked into the phone.

"You need to come to the clubhouse. Something happened." Gemma remarked into the phone and Marissa couldn't hide her annoyance.

"Seriously? Is it possible to go one fucking night without some kind of goddamn emergency taking place? What is so fucking important at 2 in the mooring?" There was a slight pause before Gemma replied.

"Marissa, It's Happy. Just….get your ass here as soon as possible."


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: I know that the transition between Happy and Marissa but my goal is to make it true to their characters. Neither Happy nor Marissa seem comfortable at the idea of rushing into a relationship and I would think that Happy would have to know more about Marissa before he would even consider her to be "old lady" material. With that being said, I really hope that you all have been enjoying the journey and I promise that the payoff will be worth it._

* * *

><p>Marissa rushed towards Gemma who was standing outside the clubhouse waiting.<p>

"What happened?" Marissa asked in a calm tone while Gemma grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the picnic table. Marissa sat down on top of the table as Gemma stood in front of her.

"There was some sort of problem tonight. Ris, Happy was shot." Marissa's face remained calm as she processed the information.

"Is it bad?" Her lack of emotion was not what Gemma had been expecting and she tried to hide the shock on her face.

"Tara's in there working on him now. She said that it was a pretty clean shot. The bullet went straight through his left shoulder. Tara said he should be fine…but he won't be able to ride for at least the next two weeks." Marissa sighed. She knew that to these men, not being able to ride was a fate worse than death. Most would rather be buried six feet under than have to go a day with riding on two wheels. Marissa looked at Gemma as she lit her cigarette.

"Why did you call me?"

"I called you because you care about him." Marissa went to object but Gemma cut her off. "You can feed all that casual fucking bullshit to yourself and Tara but the fact that you are even sitting here right now as opposed to being at home is proof that you care. I'm not saying you love him or anything like that, but I don't care how good the dick is, no woman rushes out of their bed in the middle of the night for someone that they feel nothing for."

"It's just sex Gemma. I don't even know anything about the man except that he has a mother and she and this club are the most important things in the world to him."

"But yet here you are." Marissa flicked the cigarette into the darkness.

"I would have been here regardless, whether it was Happy, Tig, Jax, Chibs, Clay, Piney, Opie, Juice, Bobby or Kip. I care about everyone here. If I didn't give a shit I wouldn't have done what I did to help you." Marissa slid off the table and Gemma grabbed her arm.

"There is a lot of blood, so maybe you should stand out here and prepare yourself before going inside."

"I'll be fine." Marissa opened the door and walked past all the guys that were sitting and waiting for Tara to finish up. She could hear soft murmurs from everyone as they were trying to figure out why she was here.

"Dude, is Rissa fucking Hap?" She heard Juice ask as she walked into the room to see Happy with her back towards her and Tara working diligently on his shoulder.

"You know there are better ways to get my attention that don't involve being bloody." Tara looked up and gave Rissa a quick smile before Rissa walked around the table and sat on the counter in front of Happy. He looked up at as he took a swig from the Jack Daniels bottle.

"What are you doing here?"

"Apparently I have unofficially been placed on your emergency contact list." She watched as Tara prepared a needle.

"This is to help with the pain so that I can clean the wound and stitch you up. I'm going to need you to put the bottle down now." Marissa grabbed the bottle from Happy and took a swig. When Happy winced, he noticed Marissa smirk a little.

"You're enjoying this."

"Oh come on, I have to find something to entertain myself and seeing your face do anything besides scowl is pretty damn funny."

"That's not the only look you have gotten from me." Marissa ignored the smirk on Tara's face.

"And on that note, it's safe to say that the morphine has kicked in. Soooo…if I'm not needed for anything else, I'm going to head home."

"I'll be done stitching him up shortly; can you hang around for awhile?" Marissa knew what Tara was doing but didn't move from her seat. The three made general conversation until Tara finally stopped after placing a sling on his arm. He thanked Tara and left the room.

"Sooo…."

"Don't even start Tar; I would have been here for anyone so don't start to make a big deal out of this."

"All I was going to say was Happy needs to rest for at least the next two weeks and I don't think being in a room in the clubhouse will allow him the chance to do that. Can you think of any place he can crash?" Marissa jumped off the counter and grabbed a box of latex gloves to throw at Tara.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that right?" Marissa walked out of the room and noticed that mostly everyone had cleared out. I guess once they knew Happy was going to be alive; they all realized what time it was and took their asses to sleep. She walked towards Happy's room and knocked twice before entering.

"Pack a bag." Happy just looked at Marissa and she placed her hand on hip. "Look you can't do shit for the next two weeks so I'm offering you to stay at a place with a better bed, better cable and more relaxation, but if you would prefer to stay here that's your choice." Happy said nothing just pointed to an already packed duffel bag in the corner. Marissa assumed he kept that there for any time that he had to take an emergency ride. She grabbed it and turned back to look at Happy. "However don't get any ideas in your head. I have no intention of dressing up in candy stripper uniform and giving you a sponge bath."

* * *

><p>The next morning Happy woke up and the pain shot through his left shoulder was a quick reminder of being shot the night before. He looked over towards the dresser and saw some medication, a water bottle and a note.<p>

_Hap, I had to go to work but I didn't want to wake you. Tara dropped of some pain meds so make sure to take two every four hours. I left an extra toothbrush on the sink as well as a washcloth and towel. Make yourself comfortable but do NOT order any pay per view off my TV. See ya when I get home tonight._

Happy smiled as he thought about the Latina. She had helped him in the house before asking what bedroom he wanted. When he said that he would just share her bed, she raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Instead she led him into the room, helped get ready for bed and made sure he was comfortable before saying she had to run in the kitchen. By the time she had returned, he had already been sleep so she climbed in beside him, making sure to turn away from him so she didn't injure his shoulder and let him sleep.

Happy walked gingerly to the bathroom to freshen up before pulling on a pair of sweats and a wife beater. He had been lounging on the couch watching TV when Marissa walked inside.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got shot." Happy answered as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Great; a grumpy guest, this should be fun." Marissa walked towards the kitchen. together at the table and Marissa told him to relax while she cleaned up. When she had finally finished the job she headed back to the bedroom to see Happy sleep. _Good. Maybe if he stays sleep the next two weeks, I won't have to think about the fact that he's living here, even if it's only temporary. _

* * *

><p>"You smoke crack, don't you, boy? Don't you smoke crack? Yeah, I thought so. And you know what that does to you? You don't? It kills your brain cells, son. It kills your brain cells! Now when you're destroying your brain cells, you're doing the same thing as killing yourself. You're just doing it slower! Now, I say if your wanna kill yourself, don't fuck around with it, do it expeditiously! Go on and jump! JUMP!" Marissa laughed as she repeated Morgan Freeman's words. The next night saw them sitting on the couch watching Lean On Me.<p>

"You have repeated every word to this damn movie." Happy responded sitting next to her on the couch with his feet on the coffee table.

"It's a classic man. Just wait until the boys start singing in the bathroom, that's my favorite part." Happy didn't say anything but he pulled at the blanket she had wrapped around her.

"What are you, five?"

"Do not mock The Little Mermaid blanket. Look." Marissa explained as she shook her leg and the Sebastian crab on the bottom started to blink red. Happy snorted.

"Okay tough guy, what's you favorite movie? Let me guess. Scarface? Godfather? Oh, I know. It's Easy Rider?"

"Actually smartass, my favorite movie is Pulp Fiction." Marissa rolled her eyes and stretched out her legs. When she was getting to pull them back underneath her, Happy had grabbed them and sat them on his lap. Her ran his fingers on her bare leg.

"Figures. Men with guys and torturing people. Seems like its right up your alley."

"So what, is this your favorite movie?"

"Casablanca."

"Isn't that one of those old as dirt black and white movies?"

"It's the most romantic non-romantic movie ever."

"Huh?" Marissa paused the DVR and sat up looking at Happy but never removing her legs from his lap.

"Okay, so these people met in Paris, have this torrid affair and she leaves. They met each other later on and she has a husband but the lovers are still madly love in with one another. At the end of the movie, he tells her to get on the plane with her husband even though he loves her. He makes the unselfish decision to let her go so that she doesn't regret staying with him. That's the most romantic thing in the world and proof that more often than not, you don't end with your soul mate. Sometimes you have to settle for safe. They don't make movies like anymore. Now every romantic movie needs to have some unrealistic happy ending giving women everywhere false hope. It's bullshit if you ask me." She turned the DVR back on and laughed loudly at the screen in front of her.

* * *

><p>"You ever been in love?" Marissa turned around from applying lotion to her legs to look at Happy. Happy had noticed that every one of her lotions seemed to be either coconut or vanilla flavor and it was absolutely intoxicating. That smell seemed to follow him everywhere.<p>

"Once. How about you?"

"Once." Marissa moved towards the bed and climbed in.

"So what happened?" Happy cursed himself for even asking the question in the first place. He didn't know why he did except that when she had given her Casablanca theory two nights ago, he found himself thinking about her words more and more. Happy blamed it on cabin fever. He was sure being cooped up in the house was starting to affect his brain.

"She wanted a ring and kids and I wanted to ride my bike and drink. What about you? Why did yours end?" Marissa looked down at a spot on her comforter before answering him.

"Some things are just not meant to be forever, no matter how hard you try." Marissa cleared her throat and hurriedly changed the subject.

"What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?" If Happy was surprised by the subject change, he didn't let it show.

"The Jetsons." Marissa smirked as she made sure her alarm clock was set.

"I was a Flintstones girl myself." They spent the rest of the night discussing old cartoon favorites before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The weekend brought a lot of visitors to Marissa house as most of the guys had stopped by to check on Happy's progress. They had developed a pretty awesome routine. Marissa was learning more about Hap with each passing day. They normally avoided any serious conversations but she did start to get a better view of who he was and if anything, it made her even more attracted to him. Another notion that was starting to piss her off. It was as if she had to remind herself on a daily basis that he was only here to recover and then he would be gone.<p>

None of the guys mentioned the fact that Happy was staying with Marissa. If Marissa would guess, she would think that Queen Gemma probably had something to do with that. She could only guess that the woman threatened bodily harm if anyone dared to make fun of Marissa or ask any questions.

She was sitting on the chair laughing at the stories about life on the road with Juice, Tig, Happy, Chibs and Koz. She couldn't ignore that blatant hatred that Tig and Koz seemed to have for one another. She desperately wanted to ask what the story was, but she declined for fear that their constant bickering would turn physical and she was not in the mood to clean up the after effects.

"So beautiful, have you met anyone since you moved here?" Marissa looked at Koz.

"I've met a lot of people." She answered wearily wondering where the blonde was going with this.

"No, I mean. Have you started dating anyone yet?"

"Dating anyone? No I'm not."

"You should let me take you out, show you a goodtime." She watched as Happy turned towards Koz sharply. She also saw Tig open and close his hands like he was trying to prevent himself from jumping across the room.

"Uh, no thank you. I'm not really looking to date right now."

"You should think about it. You and I could have a _lot_ of fun."

"Hey asshole, back off." Was Tig's response which started round number 8 of insults to start happening.

Unfortunately, Marissa had tuned everyone out. Her mind was busy in thoughts. Would she ever be able to date in this town after sleeping with Happy? Would she be going against some rule that she wasn't aware of? Would she have to get permission or something first? Would Happy even want her to date someone? Could he really get mad at her if she accepted a date while he was still fucking porn stars? There was one more question that seemed to be playing out in her head.

_Why do I ever care how he would feel?_


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: I started this fic 5 days ago and I already have 31 reviews. Thank you all for the support. This fic is quickly becoming my baby. The next chapter will start to show the shift in Happy and Marissa's relationship forcing them to start dealing with what's in front of them. As always I hope you enjoy and keep those reviews coming: they help to fuel the flame._

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><p><em>The drama never fucking seems to end in this place. Gemma was right when she said that it was rarely boring but she failed to mention it was downright insane. <em>Marissa thought to herself as she walked the hallways of Saint Thomas to visit Chibs. The past few weeks was just proof that shit was getting crazier by the second. On top of Gemma's attack and Happy's shooting; there was Luanne's death and now Chibs was lying in the hospital due to a bomb in a car at TM. Happy was no longer staying with her after fully recovering from his bullet wound. He was up and mobile for no more than 48 hours before he, Jax, Clay, Juice, Tig and Bobby had been arrested after some retaliation shit with Zobelle.

Marissa opted to meet Gemma at the hospital after Gemma was able to go see her lawyer to figure out how to get the boys released. Marissa took the opportunity to go and visit Chibs. Marissa opened the door and quickly stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware Chibs had company. I could come back." Marissa was getting ready to turn around when the woman sitting on the corner stopped her.

"No, it's alright. You can stay." The woman had a thick accent and Marissa couldn't help but wonder who she was. Instead, Marissa placed the gift bag that she had brought on the top of the table before reaching out her hand.

"Marissa."

"Fiona." The older woman replied. She had curly hair, a deep caramel complexion and serious worry lines on her face. "You don't look like a fraochÚn, how do you know Filip?" Marissa had no idea what the woman just called her but she assumed it wasn't nice.

"I work at Teller Morrow with Chibs. I just came to check up on him."

"So you're not an over eager slut hoping that your good deed of being here would somehow get in his good graces?" Marissa shook her head, more than a little offended by the woman.

"Who are you?"

"Filip's wife." Marissa's jaw felt unhinged as it dropped damn near to the floor. She had no idea Chibs had a wife. Where the hell had she been? Who was she? Did they have kids? What the hell? All these questions flashed through Marissa's mind but she knew it was inappropriate to ask them so she kept her mouth shut. The women looked towards the bed when they heard a noise. Fiona jumped up and was by Chibs side in an instant.

"Fi? What are you doing here?" Fiona placed a kiss on Chibs cheek before touching him lovingly. Marissa wanted to get up and run for the door, feeling as though she was intruding on a private moment.

"Shhh. I was worried about you Filip, of course I would be here. Kerrianne sends her love."

"If you are here, that means you are not alone. Jimmy…." Fiona placed a finger to his lips.

"Don't worry love. Now there is a young lady who wants to see you. I'm going to give you two a moment but I will be back." Fiona grabbed her purse and nodded towards Marissa before leaving the room. Marissa stood up and placed the chair next to Chibs's bed. She didn't want to intrude on his personal life, so she asked general questions about his health and recovery before grabbing the bag that she had brought with her.

"I have a present for you."

"Is it a bottle of whiskey?" Marissa laughed. At least the man still had his sense of humor.

"I know that you love Edgar Allen Poe so I wanted you to have this." Marissa lifted up her copy of a collection of Poe's work. Chibs smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift. Marissa looked up as a nurse came in the room to give him another shot of pain meds.

"Thank you love. That was very kind of you."

"Thank you. It's rare to find someone that enjoys Poe; especially in this bunch." Marissa smiled. "Would you like me to read to you before you fall asleep?" When Chibs nodded, Marissa opened the book and started to read A Dream within a Dream.

* * *

><p>Marissa kneeled in front of the candles inside of the hospital's chapel. Everything that was going on was starting to feel like a ton of bricks hitting her soul. She was trying her best to keep everything together. Marissa felt as thought it was the only right thing to do since technically she was the newbie of the group and someone needed to have a level head in the midst of insanity.<p>

She bowed her head and recited the Lord's Prayer before throwing in a few prayers of her own. She prayed for all of her friends and she prayed for inner strength. She used her right hand to make a cross before standing up.

"You don't strike me as the religious type." Marissa turned to Gemma who was seated on a pew waiting for the young woman to finish.

"Being Puerto Rican automatically made me a Catholic." Marissa said as an explanation. She took a seat next to Gemma.

"Uh, I met Chib's wife." Gemma turned wide eyes at Marissa.

"She's here? In the hospital?" Marissa nodded. "Shit. That bitch being here is the last thing Chibs needs."

"She seemed to be concerned about him."

"Don't let that act fool you. There are three women that I'm scared of: my mother, my 3rd grade math teacher and that Irish bitch. If there is any truth to that praying shit you were doing, that bitch will take her ass back over the rainbow and leave Chibs alone."

"What did your lawyer say?" Marissa asked.

"In a nutshell: we're fucked. In order to bail out all of the guys, it is going to cost three hundred thousand dollars. If I put out a second mortgage on the house and empty out our savings, I might be able to Clay and Jax out. But there is no way in hell they are going to leave their brothers in there alone."

"Are they in danger in jail?" Gemma just glanced at Marissa.

"Hopefully they have been able to make some alliances inside but who's to say how long that's going to last. I have got to get them out of there." Marissa couldn't help but wonder if part of Gemma's urgency had to do with fear. Fear that without Clay or Jax around, Zobelle's men would be back and do more harm. Gemma stood up and placed a kiss on Marissa's forehead.

"I have to go to some therapy thing to get Tara off my ass. You should go back to the compound and I'll meet you there. I don't think any of us should be alone right now." Marissa sat in the chapel by herself weighing her options. She knew that if she really wanted, she could help the boys get out of jail. The only problem is what helping them could possibly cost her. She weighed the pros and cons heavily in her mind.

She thought of what would happen to Gemma if something happened to Jax or Clay in jail. She though of Tara who was barely holding it together as is and she couldn't imagine the woman being able to survive without the love of her life. She thought of never having Tig's friendship or seeing Juice's smile or tasting Bobby's baked goods. Finally she thought of Happy. She thought of his dark eyes, his skilled hands and the feelings that he invoked in her, even if he didn't know it yet. She thought of his mother, sitting somewhere battling cancer and getting the phone call that her only child died in a prison cell.

Marissa grabbed her cell phone and made her choice, consequences be damned. She found the number she needed and waited for someone on the other line to pick up.

"Bernie, it's me. I need your help."

* * *

><p>Marissa was sitting on her living room floor playing with Abel when Tara came stomping through her front door. She had tears in her eyes.<p>

"It's over. My relationship is fucking over."

"Since breakfast?" Marissa asked confused. A few hours after she had placed the phone call, Gemma came running into the compound and said that the boys were on their way home. Tara had been excited but the reasonable side of her had asked how. Gemma said that an anonymous source had posted bail, all three hundred thousand of it. Tara questioned who the hell would put up that kind of money for SAMCRO. Gemma assumed that the money had come from Elliot Oswald as she had gone to the man for help earlier that day.

Marissa had stood back as the women waited for the guys to pull up. Seeing Clay go off in one direction and Jax in the other spoke volumes about what occurred between the two men while locked up. If that wasn't obvious, the numerous bruises on both men gave them away. Tara had been worried and wanted to go after Jax but Gemma stopped her explaining that he needed to be by himself.

Marissa watched with wide eyes as Happy got out of the van. He had been walking with his head down when he looked up and made eye contact with her. The two just stood there on opposite sides of the parking lot just staring. Marissa wanted to run into his arms and beg to know if he was alright but she knew that she didn't have that right. Instead, she had to settle for the nod that he gave her before going back into the clubhouse. The next day, Gemma had said that Hap had gone down to Bakersfield to see his mother. That had been two weeks ago and she hadn't seen or heard from him since.

The boys were out of jail and Chibs was finally out of the hospital but his bed seemed to be taken over by Juice who had been shanked while in prison. Marissa had spent a lot of time at the hospital trying to lift Juice's spirits, bringing him a PS3 and various other things to keep him occupied.

Juice had turned into an unofficial little brother to Marissa. There was just something about his personality that made Marissa want to protect him fiercely. Maybe it was his childlike smile, his big brown eyes, the way he could find the silver lining in any situation. She spent hours talking to him about any and everything.

She had learned that he was raised in Queens by a single mom and never knew his dad. He had been a bit of a delinquent as a teen but incredibly book smart, earning him a full scholarship to USC. His mother had begged him to go and make something of himself. When he went to college, his mother moved back to Puerto Rico to live with his aunt. Juice only got to see his mom about once a year but he constantly sent her money and kept in contact.

This morning, Marissa had stopped by Tara's to pick up Abel, saying that she wanted to give Tara and Jax some time to reconnect with each other. Obviously that plan didn't work cause less than four hours later Tara was sitting on her couch crying.

"Jax wants to go NOMAD." Marissa knew what that meant since Happy had went NOMAD but she had no idea why Jax would want to go that route. His life was in Charming. There was no reason for him to want to be on the road.

"What the hell for?"

"It's this shit with Clay. They have been at each other's throats for months and now Caracara burned down and Jax thinks that it's Clay's fault. Jax said that Clay had been against SMACRO getting into the porn business in the first place and he blamed Luanne's death on Jax. Jax said he can't work under Clay anymore. He didn't even tell me- Gemma had to."

"So what happens now?" Marissa asked as she grabbed her friend's hand from her spot on the floor.

"According to Gemma, everyone has to vote Jax's decision or it's not going to happen. But Gemma thinks that everyone loves Jax too much to make him stay somewhere that he doesn't want to be. He says that all NOMAD means is a few more miles on his bike but that's bullshit. He will be in more danger out on the road and I will lose him, I know I will. Something big has to happen to keep Jax here and it needs to happen soon."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Marissa found herself knocking on Gemma's door. Tara had called her last night and told her that Gemma finally broke down and told Jax and Clay about the rape, halting Jax from going NOMAD. Instead he was more dedicated to the mother charter than ever before and the tension between him and Clay had all but vanished at the news of Gemma's confession.<p>

"I brought coffee." Was Marissa's greeting as she found Gemma sitting at the head of the large dining room table, puffing on a joint.

"Tara called you." Gemma stated. She remained quiet for a few minutes before speaking again. "I'm damaged pussy."

"You wouldn't be the first." Gemma stared at Marissa who sipped her coffee. When Tara had been by earlier, the doctor tried everything in her power to make her realize that Clay loved her and this would not destroy them. Marissa seemed to take a more honest and blunt approach to shit.

"Your sympathy is overwhelming."

"I'm not Tara. I don't have any motherly instincts and feel the need to baby people but I will tell you this. You being damaged pussy is the last thing on Clay's mind. Right now he is feeling guilty as hell for not being able to know that there was something wrong with you. He's kicking his own ass about every fight that the two of you had been having because his needs weren't being met, not knowing that the reason for your resistance was fear over what happened to you. That man loves you, Gemma. He looks at you like you hold the sun in your smile. The only one that thinks you're damaged pussy is YOU. I guess Jax thinking about going NOMAD was a good thing."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means were you ever going to tell your family what happened to you?" Gemma glared at the young woman.

"The club IS my family." Marissa rolled her eyes.

"Put the club on the back burner for a second. If Jax wasn't thinking about going NOMAD, were you ever going to tell your HUSBAND and your SON what happened to you?" Gemma chose to ignore the question and snapped back at Marissa.

"You know, there is one thing that has been bothering me about you."

"Only one? I feel honored." Marissa replied sarcastically.

"There is more to your story isn't there? You are not just some bar owner from Chicago are you?"

"What the hell are you getting at Gemma?" Gemma put her joint out and looked Marissa dead in her eye.

"What I'm getting at is the fact that you have no reaction to anything. You have yet to show any emotions to all the shit that has been going down. I show up at your door beat to hell and you barely blink as if it is something that you see every goddamn day. You lied to everyone with a straight face, not once letting on to the truth. Chibs is almost blown into a million pieces 10 feet away from you and you calmly pick up the phone to call 911. Happy gets shot and there is not even a worry line of that pretty little face of yours."

"What would you like me to do Gemma? How would you like me to react?" Marissa was getting more pissed off by the second.

"I guess your lack of reaction to Happy's shooting is something that bothers the most. I can understand and even respect how you handled the other situations. It takes a strong woman to do you what you have done for us, but the man you are sleeping with had a bullet in his body and blood all over his shirt and you felt nothing at all?"

"Crying about it wouldn't have made him any less shot."

"Maybe not but you have shared a bed with that man for the past three months and you barely blinked when he was hurt. Hell, Tara damn near goes into hysterics every time Jax gets a black eye and it has taken me years to get the "tough old lady" routine down pact. "So either you are a hell of an actress or this isn't your first rodeo." Gemma looked at the fire burning from Marissa's eyes.

"I'm right aren't I? You have done this before. Maybe not the whole MC lifestyle but the danger, the secrets, the bullets? You are familiar with all of that." Marissa was deadly calm when she finally answered Gemma.

"We all have a past and as long of my past don't have any effects on the present or your precious club; I don't think that it's any of you fucking business." Marissa ran out of the room, nearly colliding with Jax on her way to her car.


	14. Chapter 14

_Who the hell does she think she is? I don't give a damn if she is the Queen of Charming. She sticks her nose in my business like that one more time; me and her are going to have some SERIOUS fucking problems. _Marissa was fuming as she drove home. She didn't recall "revealing all your deep dark secrets" as a requirement when she agreed to move to Charming. She was going to have to have a serious talk with Tara to make sure her best friend had been keeping her mouth shut about certain shit. Marissa was so busy lost in her thoughts that when she noticed the bloodied mess leaning on her front door, she almost screamed out loud.

"Oh my God! What the hell happened? Are you okay?"

"You got a band-aid?" Tig asked as he struggled to stay standing.

"You need a hell of a lot more than a band-aid. Come on; let's get you cleaned up." Marissa sat Tig down at the kitchen table and she hurried to grab the first aid kit from under the sink. Every since Gemma's attack Marissa had stocked up on medical supplies just in case.

The bruises on Tig's face were nothing compared to the look in his eyes. He looked haunted….tortured. "Do you wanna talk about it?" When Tig didn't respond, Marissa went about the task of trying to clean him up as best she could. She worked in silence before Tig forcefully grabbed her wrist and forced her to sit down.

"Why don't I scare you?" Tig asked looking wildly at her. Marissa sat shocked, almost unsure of how to respond.

"Are you supposed to scare me?"

"I am a dangerous man, Rissa. Everything I touch turns to shit. Do you know how the guys joke around that I'm a psychotic, sick fuck? It's not a joke. It's the goddamn truth. I have two daughters who only call me when they need money. Most women are terrified of me when I'm not fucking them. So why aren't you scared of me? Why don't you run away from me? I'm a bad fucking guy Marissa, so why do you even associate yourself with me?" Marissa put her hand over his as she tried to soothe his outburst. All thoughts of her fight with Gemma were erased at this point in time.

"You have been nothing but good to me Tigger. From the second I got on the back of your bike to right now, you have never done anything to make me run from you. Besides Tara, you are the one I'm closest to. You have helped me out, watched my back, and made me laugh. Why would I want to run from you? Nothing you could have done would make me think less of you."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE?" Tig roared as he stood up kicking the chair behind him. Marissa watched as he paced the kitchen floor with his head down. When he finally looked at her, he had tears streaming down his face. "I….I…I killed Donna. I fucking killed Opie's wife. I put a stream of bullets in the back of her head. I didn't know it was her at the time but I did it." Tig all but collapsed on the floor muttering the words "I'm sorry" over and over again.

Marissa sat stunned at the revelation. She was assuming that the bruises came from Opie. Gemma's confession was causing others to reveal their demons and confront them head on. Marissa wondered what other secrets were going to start coming out. She kneeled down and pulled Tig to her chest. She held him like a baby, allowing him the time to cry and get himself together. When he was composed, she grabbed the sides of his face and forced Tig to look her in the eye.

"I'm going to ask you something and you better be honest with me. Did you mean to kill Donna?" Tig shook his head no in Marissa's hands. "Then it was an accident. It was horrible and horrific but it was an accident Tig. You have got to let go baby and learn to forgive yourself."

"How the fuck do I do that? I took a mother away from her children and a wife from her husband."

"You can't change what you did but you can try like hell to make things right with those that are here. Reach out to Opie, spend time with his kids, become fun Uncle Tig instead of that scary guy in the corner. The fact that you told him….the fact that you are here in this kitchen feeling remorse proves to me that you are NOT a bad man. You did a bad thing but that does not make you a bad man." Marissa kissed Tig's forehead before pulling him close again.

Marissa watched from her kitchen window as Tig pulled out of the driveway. She had finally got him calm and while she didn't know if her talk had done any good, she prayed that he took her advice to heart. Marissa gripped the kitchen sink so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She felt a rush of dizziness hit her and she struggled to breath. It was all becoming too much for her. It was all taking her back to a time in her life that she had tried desperately to forget about.

Marissa stumbled to the bathroom, ripping her clothes off in the process. She turned the water on as hot as it could get while still being bearable before stepping in the shower. She let the water flow over her as if trying to wash away her sins. She put her head down and placed her hand on the tiled wall in front of her to steady herself. She felt the beginnings of a panic attack as memories, old and new, flooded her mind. Marissa slid down the shower wall and for the first time in over two years, she cried.

* * *

><p>Happy pulled his Harley behind Marissa's car and took a deep breath. He was hoping that she would be home. After church and the announcement of Gemma's attack, everyone seemed to be lost. The thought that some bastards could do this to any woman, especially one that they all loved so much, made every man in that room sick to their stomachs.<p>

Happy was leaning against a car when Opie attacked Tig. He watched as Tig didn't even fight back, just allowed Opie to continue to hit him. It was as if Tig was silently begging Opie to kill him. Happy had known the reason behind Opie's rage. Tig and Happy were as close to best friends as two stone-cold killers could possible be. One night they had been drinking together when Tig admitted his part in Donna's death. Happy didn't offer any words of wisdom; instead just allowing his brother to burden his soul, both knowing that the information would never leave the room.

Happy couldn't think at the garage. His mind kept racing back to Marissa. What if it had been her that was hurt? Somehow he didn't think that he would have been able to be as calm as Clay and Jax. The Latina had invaded Happy's thoughts more than he would have cared to admit. The crow eaters that he fucked now were no longer doing it for him. Their skin wasn't soft enough, their scent wasn't intoxicating, and their hair wasn't silky enough. He would go to sleep with those big hazel eyes playing in his mind. Her wide smile haunted him as he would push his bike to the limit when driving from Tacoma back down to Charming. Before he could stop himself, he had jumped on his bike and made it to her front door.

He knocked on her front door and there was no answer. Her car was there so she had to be home. He tried the knob and was pissed that it was unlocked. How many times did he have to tell this girl to lock her damn door? He glanced towards the kitchen and saw a chair overturned and bloody pieces of gauze on the table. Happy felt his heart skip a beat as he pulled out his gun. He turned towards the hallway and saw Marissa's clothes spread all over the place. As he got closer, he could hear the shower running. He opened the bathroom door wider and that's when he heard her.

Her cries were loud and she seemed to be struggling to breathe even though he couldn't see her. Happy placed his gun back in the holster before grabbing her towel from the rack. He pulled the shower curtain back and watched with wide eyes as Marissa was hugging her knees, rocking back and forth as her sobs seemed to wreck through her entire body. He reached over and turned off the water. Marissa looked up but it was as if she was looking through him. He placed the towel gently around her body and picked her up from the tub floor. He carried her in his arms towards her bedroom.

He sat her down on the bed and then took a step back, unsure of what to do next. Marissa struggled to calm herself down, as if embarrassed that anyone had found her like this. She closed her eyes and placed her head on her knees as she willed herself to stop crying. Happy just stood there silently as she slowly got herself together. When she finally looked at him with questioning eyes, Happy finally spoke.

"Get dressed. Let's get out of here for awhile."

* * *

><p>The entire two hour ride Marissa had placed her head on Happy's back with her eyes closed. She felt safe and feeling his muscles around her was like a blanket. When he finally turned off the bike, Marissa opened her eyes and realized that they were at some sort of private beach. He helped her off the bike and the pair walked in silence next to each other.<p>

Happy stood back as Marissa took off her socks and shoes before walking down to the water. He watched as she walked in to her knees and just stood there. Her body was facing him but her head was titled up towards the sun. She had no make up on her face and her hair was flying wildly in the wind, but Happy had never seen a more beautiful sight. He thought back to a conversation he had with his mother the last time he had went to see her after getting out of jail.

"_What's her name?" Miriam Lohman asked while sitting on the back porch having lunch with her son. Happy looked up from his sandwich to stare at his mother._

"_What are you talking about, Ma?"_

"_You know, it's not polite to lie to your mother. What's her name? Who is the girl that you have been thinking about since you got here?" Happy had been staying at his mother's for the past two days. Every time he went to jail or something had gone wrong, he always felt the need to see his mom. Even if he didn't tell her why he was there, he got comfort in his mother's love. After all, she was the only that knew the real him. She knew Michael, not Happy. Although he always got a kick out of it when she would refer to him as Happy in front of some of the brothers that she had met. _

"_Ma, I seriously don't know what you are talking about." Miriam sighed as she looked at her son. He was as stubborn as a mule sometimes. She cleared her throat as she used her slender hand to grab the cordless phone that was sitting between them on the table,_

"_Alright. If you are not going to tell me, then maybe I'll call Gemma and get all caught up on the latest gossip." Happy grabbed the phone from his mother's grasp. He was really beginning to resent introducing his mother to Gemma. The two of them bonded instantly and Gemma had promised Miriam that she would look after Happy. He could only imagine the conversations that took place between the two women. _

"_Marissa. Her name is Marissa." Happy groaned. It was bad enough he couldn't get the girl out his head, now he was going to have to confront his feelings head on while talking to his mother. _

"_So tell me about her." Miriam knew that she was going to have to pull all the information she could from her son because he was not going to willingly provide any._

"_She's Jax's old lady's best friend. She just moved to Charming from Chicago."_

"_And? Come on, there has to be more to her than that for you to have that look in your eyes."_

"_Ma, it's nothing. She's has the worst taste in movies, she's always listening to some sort of music, the woman has no regards to her own safety because she never seems to lock her door, she has an attitude that is way too big for her tiny little body…."_

"_And you are smitten with her." Miriam stated with a smile on her face. "So tell me: are you actually courting this young lady or are you just fucking her?_

"_MA!" Happy yelled to which Miriam just rolled her eyes._

"_Don't "Ma" me. I gave birth to you, I raised you, and I know how you are. This woman has obviously done what no one else has ever been able to do before: she has gotten under your skin. That alone makes her different from your normal habit, but if you continue to treat her like you do your random putas, you will lose her before she can even be yours Michael."_

_Happy sat back and sighed. "What are you talking about mom?"_

_Miriam sat her fork down and stared at her son with a look that Hap had come to realize was the look she gave when she was getting ready to school him. "You live a…interesting life and from what I have been able to understand, that leather vest you wear makes you a pretty big deal. There are going to be a million girls that are going to want Happy but it takes a special woman that is going to want Michael. That will be the woman that looks beyond the vest straight into your soul. She's the type of woman that will walk through hell with a smile on her face as long as she is by your side. That type of woman will also not wait around forever for you to get your head out of your ass."_

"_Ma, it's not that serious."_

"_You have listed 4 things about this woman in one breath. Tell me one thing about the last girl you slept with that wasn't her. Do you even remember half of their names? What color are their eyes? You like this Marissa girl, in a way that makes you unable to stop thinking about her and that means that you have to do something about it. You can not use your dick as a way to convey your feelings." Happy winced at his mother's words._

"_So what should I do then?"_

"_You show her that you're worth it. I know that you aren't big on talking about your feelings but you have to try. For a woman that you really want, you make the effort to try. As long as you try; if she's the right woman; she will stand beside you. I know that you don't believe it but I am so proud of the man you have become. You are strong and loyal and when you love something or someone, you give it your all. I have prayed for years that a woman would come into your life that would get your love."_

_Miriam picked her fork back up as she knew her son was trying to wrap his head around everything that she had just said. She finished her salad before giving him one last piece of advice. "Keep in mind that women love very differently than men. Men love with caution, always keeping a hand on the brake, looking out for the bumps and curves in the road. Women love unconditionally and full throttle, constantly going 120 MPH without a helmet. If you find that kind of woman to love you, don't you EVER let her go."_

By the time Happy was done replaying the conversation, Marissa had made her way back up the beach and took a seat next to where he stood. In a move that shocked both of them, Happy sat down behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was the most intimate embrace that the two had ever shared.

"Did you know?" Happy asked. Marissa leaned back into his embrace before answering.

"Yeah."

"Have you known the whole time?"

"Yup." Marissa took a deep breath. "I know that people might not understand it and I don't know if Clay and Jax hate me for not saying anything but….she asked me to keep quiet and it wasn't my secret to tell." Happy was impressed with her loyalty. She had only known these people for a short time and yet she was quick to protect them in anyway she could. They sat there in silence as the sun started to set over the water. Happy could feel the tension slowly leave Marissa's body.

"Thank you, Hap. I know that there was no way for you to have known this but the water has always calmed me. This was the perfect place for me right now." Happy moved her hair as he placed a kiss on her temple. Happy thought back to what his mother had said and knew that he had to try. He wasn't ready to jump into anything head first, but he would at least attempt to get his toes wet.

"This….shit with Zobelle could get rough. I need you to promise me, right here and right now, that if anyone EVER hurts you in ANYWAY, you will come and tell me. I don't care if you think that you are protecting me or the club, I will always need to know that you are okay." Marissa turned back to look at Happy and he placed his hand on the back of her neck before pulling her for a kiss. The kiss was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. This kiss was soft and gentle as if Happy was afraid of breaking her and trying to reassure that he wasn't going anywhere. Marissa didn't know if it was the aftermath of Gemma's confession or the calming effects of the water, but she knew from this night on: something had definitely changed between her and Happy.


	15. Chapter 15

After the pair had sat and watched the sun set, they headed back to Charming. By the time they had reached Marissa's house, she was officially exhausted. She didn't even ask Hap if he wanted to stay but she was silently pleased when he followed her in the house. She turned towards the kitchen and started to clean up the mess.

"I meant to ask what the hell all this was." Happy asked as he leaned against the doorframe watching her. She really was a tiny thing, standing at barely 5'2. It was amazing how much strength was in such a tiny body. Marissa placed the bloody gauze in the trash before washing her hands.

"Tig stopped by." Marissa said nothing else and Happy wondered if she knew the real reason behind the blood on Tig's face but he didn't ask. He heard his pre-pay start to ring and Marissa simply left the kitchen, allowing him to answer the phone in private.

He spent about fifteen minutes talking to Lucky, the President of the NOMAD chapter. He explained as best he could about what was going on in Charming. Lucky said that Clay had already contacted him and asked for Happy's help in Charming for the foreseeable future. He wrapped up some final business and hung up.

Happy walked into the bedroom and stared at Marissa. She had fallen asleep on top of the comforter wearing nothing but a pair of black lace boy shorts. She was lying down on her stomach and her face was covered by her massive hair. Happy couldn't remember the last time that sex wasn't the only thing on his mind when looking at a woman, but he knew that she must have been exhausted so he wasn't going to wake her. Instead, he removed his clothing and pulled the covers back, settling her in the bed before joining her. He watched her for a few minutes, finding solace in her breathing. Some time in her sleep, she turned over and placed her head on his chest as if she had always belonged there. Happy held tight and protectively before sleep overtook him.

Marissa groaned at the sound of a phone ringing. The lack of a custom ring tone let her know that the phone didn't belong to her. She snuggled further into Happy's chest and willed herself back to sleep. She felt Happy move as he grabbed the phone and answered with a raspy and rough "What". When he hung up the phone, he placed a kiss on Marissa's head.

"I've gotta go." Marissa rolled over and talked to him with her eyes still closed.

"What time is it?"

"7:30." Marissa cursed loudly as she tried to set up. "What are you doing? Go on back to sleep."

"No sense. My alarm will be going off soon anyway and I gotta get ready to head to the garage." Marissa walked to her dresser and pulled on a tank top. She watched Happy with fascination through her mirror as he started to get dressed. She opened up a box and threw something on the bed.

"What's this?" Happy palmed the keys that she had laid on the bed.

"Keys to the house. I'm not saying that you are going to be moved in or anything but if you are going to show up at 2 in the morning or something, I would rather to not have to get up to let you in." Marissa tried to seem indifferent and hoped that Hap couldn't see her heart beating out her chest.

She walked him to the front door and he grabbed her hand. "I want you to be careful. I'm going to talk to the guys about setting up a security system here. I'll see you at the garage." He bent down to kiss her as she opened the door. Neither one noticed the figure standing there.

"Well it's certainly a good morning for you two." Marissa and Happy pulled away to see Gemma standing there with a smirk on her face and a bag in her hand. Happy turned towards Gemma, taking the bag from her hand and placing it on the walkway before grabbing the older woman into a fierce hug. Marissa couldn't hear what Happy was whispering in Gemma's ear but she watched as Gemma's eyes filled with tears and she held on to Happy just a little tighter. When he pulled away, he nodded back towards Marissa before heading to his bike.

Marissa stood up straight as if preparing herself for war. She watched as Gemma picked the bag back up and looked at her. "The garage is closed today."

"You could have sent a text."

"I brought cheesecake." Gemma held up as if it was some sort of peace offering. Marissa sighed but moved to allow the woman in her home. Marissa went in the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee and grabbed some plates.

"Most people would not have gotten away with speaking to me the way you did yesterday." Marissa remained silent with her back to Gemma as she poured two cups of coffee. "You got some set of balls on you girl. I'm going to say something to you but if you tell anyone, I will deny it. I'm sorry." Marissa whirled around so fast the spoon she had in her hand fell to the floor. Did the Queen Bitch herself just apologize? Gemma rolled her eyes at the look on Marissa's face.

"You haven't done anything to make me question your loyalty to the club. In fact, you have gone above and beyond for most of us. I shouldn't have taken my shit out on you."

"I'm sorry too. I'm _not _sorry for what I said because I meant it, but I am sorry for the way I said it." Marissa sat across from Gemma. "I understand your need to protect your family and with everything going on with Zobelle, I can see why you might start throwing daggers at me because I'm the new girl, but I meant what I said Gemma: stay out of my past. I like you, I respect you and I want to build a great friendship with you but I will not be bullied by you. We all have different coping mechanisms and mine is survival. So maybe I'm not the girl that will cry at the drop of dime but that doesn't warrant an investigation into my past." Gemma nodded at the young woman.

"So are we good?"

"As long as this cheesecake is strawberry." The women got a slice to go with their coffee and felt the tension between the two of them leave the room.

"So Happy being here this morning? Can I assume he spent the night?" Marissa was silently grateful that Gemma had brought up that subject because on this topic, she could definitely use the woman's advice. Marissa told Gemma everything from Happy finding her in the shower to her waking up in his arms.

"I don't want to read too much into this but I don't know how to proceed. What happens now? What is the chain of command around here? Have we gone from casual sex to friends with benefits? Am I something more? I just don't know."

"Right now things are still undefined but he's giving you the chance to prove yourself. He needs to know that you can handle this life and everything it offers before he pulls out the tattoo gun and brand you. He's cracked open the door, now it's up to you to kick that bitch down. Oh by the way, we are throwing a party at the clubhouse on Friday."

"A party for what?"

"Juice is getting out of the hospital."

"Are you sure throwing a party with everything going on is a good thing?" Gemma sighed before grabbing Marissa's hand.

"I'm going to let you in on a bit of information. The guys talked about how they are going to proceed with retaliation and they understand that Zobelle is unlike any other fucker that they have had to deal with before. They have to be smart about this and it's not something that's going to happen over night. We need this party; to show that everything is normal so that Zobelle won't be on his guard when SAMCRO hits."

_Avoidance: the SAMCRO way. Who has time to worry about the sky dropping on top of them when there are parties to be thrown and family dinners to be cooked? _Personally Marissa thought the idea was insane but this was not her decision to make, instead she just begun the process of helping Gemma plan Juice's welcome home party.

* * *

><p>Friday night, Marissa walked through the parking lot of the compound with butterflies in her stomach. This was the first time that she would be at a public setting with everyone after things started to shift between her and Hap. She wasn't sure how to proceed. She figured she would just follow Hap's lead. If he didn't let on to anything being different, she would do the same thing.<p>

"Wow Rissa you look HOT. I mean…you always look hot…but um..what I meant was." Marissa smiled, amused at Juice trying to stumble his way through his compliment. Marissa knew that she looked different and if Juice's reaction was any indication, she had succeeded in looking good. She hugged the man and was pleased to see the return of his Mohawk. The full head of hair he was sporting at the hospital was a shock for her.

She looked around the room and noticed that Tara and Lyla seemed to have the same idea that she did when getting ready this evening. It seemed like all three women had put a little more effort than normal into their appearance that night as if trying to show these porn stars up. Lyla had on a black and pink corset with skin tight jeans and black booties. Her blonde curls framed her face and her eyes darted around the room keeping an eye on her man.

Tara had placed her hair up in a fancy ponytail as her newly cut bangs were pulled to the side of her face. She had on a silver halter shirt that was tied in the back and a pair of fancy black shorts with a pair of platform sandals. Tara had managed to look sexy without being trashy and Marissa swore she saw drool on Jax's chin from his spot by the pool table.

Marissa walked up behind Tara and hugged her best friend. Tara turned to smile and gasped.

"Your hair looks amazing!" Tara ran a hand through Marissa's straight hair. Marissa had went to the salon earlier for just a simple trim but she saw a poster for a treatment called the Brazilian hair straightener and decided to try it out. She also had her hair cut into layers to frame her face and her hair now reached below her bra line. With her thick hair and pouty lips, Marissa resembled Eva Mendes. She was dressed in a red one shoulder long sleeve shirt that reached below her behind. She paired the shirt with shiny black leggings and knee high boots. The black belt around her waist gave her the perfect hourglass frame.

She and Tara went to the bar to get some drinks and Marissa took the time to look around at everyone around her. She watched with a smile on her face as Tig and Opie seemed to be laughing together about something. Clay was kissing Gemma and making sure that he always was touching her in some way. Juice had two sweet butts on each arm and laughed with Chibs. Jax and Bobby were shooting a game of pool which apparently had turned into a drinking game. She was grateful that Clay hadn't asked her to bartend tonight because she had every intention of letting loose. She and Tara tapped their glasses together before taking a shot.

"Come on chica, let's show this bitches how it's done." Marissa grabbed Tara and pulled her towards the make shift dance floor.

That was where Happy saw her when he walked into the clubhouse. She was standing back to back with Tara and singing loudly to some Hip-Hop song playing through the speakers. Happy wondered what the women had to do to convince the bikers to allow the song to be played in the normally rock and country clubhouse. Happy leaned back on the bar and Marissa made eye contact with him. She smiled and seemed to be singing the next set of lyrics directly to him.

_I can do for you what Martin did for the people  
>Ran by the men but the women keep the tempo<br>It's very seldom that you're blessed to find your equal  
>Still play my part and let you take the lead role<em>

Marissa turned around when Lyla approached the pair and started to dance with them, all of the women doing their best version of Beyonce. Koz walked up next to Happy and looked at the women.

"Damn. Look at that ass: she's got to be crazy in bed." Happy glared at Koz and fought the urge to hit his long time friend. Koz didn't know about what was going on between Happy and Marissa but Happy was getting really tired of the little shit that Koz seemed to be saying when talking about her. Happy slammed his beer down on the bar and made his way over to the dance floor.

He placed his hands on her waist causing her to turn around. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was more than a little drunk. He was glad to see her smiling and laughing after her breakdown earlier in the week.

"Hey. I was wondering where you were." In a move that shocked not only Marissa, but also every person standing in the clubhouse, Happy pulled her in for a deep kiss. He held her face in his hands as her body seemed to melt at his touch. They stood there like they were the only two people in the room.

"What. The. Fuck." Clay murmured echoing the sentiments of everyone except Tara, Gemma and Jax. "Are they? Is he? What the fuck?" Gemma patted her husband on the arm and pulled him to the corner, knowing that she had some explaining to do. Clay hated being out of the loop and seeing the stoic killer kissing the tiny hell raiser was a complete shock.

They finally pulled away from each other when Marissa heard the unmistakable squeal of her best friend from across the room. _God, she can be such a girl sometimes. _Tara and Lyla walked up to Marissa and each grabbed an arm.

"Sorry to take her from you Hap, but girl talk." The two ladies all put pushed Marissa in the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Happy walked back to the bar as if nothing had happened. He felt everyone's eyes on him as if debating how to approach the situation. He looked over to see the one man with ball's enough to step up to him. Tig nodded towards the front door, signaling that there were some things that needed to be discussed in private between the two men.<p>

Once outside, they both lit up a cigarette and just relished in the breeze that the California night was giving them

"So I guess that fuck in Chicago wasn't a one time deal?" Happy turned sharp eyes to Tig who just smiled at his friend, playfulness shining in his blue eyes.

"Do I even want to know?"

"I'm a light sleeper: occupational habit. I went to make sure everything was alright and let's just say…I heard you two." Happy nodded. "So what the hell was that in there?"

"A sure fire way to get Koz to catch a clue and back the fuck up before I shoot him." Tig immediately straightened up.

"What did he do? Did he touch her? Can someone please say the word so I can kill that fucker already?" Happy laughed but knew how true Tig's question was.

"It's been years man; you ever plan on letting that shit go?" Tig glared.

"I loved her and that fucker took her from me. There is no letting that go." Happy didn't have it in him to remind Tig that Missy was a fucking dog not an old lady.

"This thing with you and Marissa? What is it? Did you just need to set some boundaries to the boys with that little kiss that she's only your pussy or are you actually going to turn it into something more?" Happy questioned something that's been on his mind since before Chicago.

"You and Marissa? Do you…."Happy trailed off but Tig got the message.

"Nah, man. I mean I thought about it the first night she showed up but now? I couldn't imagine thinking of her like that. She's damn near my daughter at this point. She's special man, just got this beautiful soul or some shit. Finds the good in everyone, even my bastard ass so maybe she will be good for your crazy ass." Tig joked before turning serious. He made sure to look Happy in the eye so that there was no confusion in his next words.

"You do right by her or don't do anything at all. You hurt her; brother or not, I will kill you." Happy hugged his brother as a sign that he understood. Of all the people in SAMCRO, he knew that Tig would protect Marissa with his life and Happy couldn't be more grateful for that piece of knowledge.


	16. Chapter 16

The following morning Happy walked down the hallway and stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him, Marissa was standing on a Yoga mat, her back facing him. He watched as she took deep breaths before bending her body back and kept her eyes closed. The tightness in his pants came quickly. Now Happy was starting to understand where her flexibility came from.

"I don't share."

"GOD DAMNIT!" Marissa screamed as his voice startled her and she lost balance, smacking her back as she fell. "First of all, what the hell are you talking about? Secondly, you couldn't have picked a better time to have a conversation?" Seeing the way her body was bent made Happy need to have this conversation now.

"Do you plan on getting up?"

"No, I think I'm just going to lay right here while you explain what the hell you mean. Share what? A shower? Your shirts? I have no clue what the hell you are talking about."

"Pussy. I don't share pussy with anyone else." Marissa snorted as she rolled over onto her stomach. _There goes my exercise. _

"I find that hard to believe. You telling me that all those crow eaters you have been with haven't been run through by some of the other guys?"

"That's different. You're different." Marissa smiled.

"You know that may have been a better way to word things in the beginning. So what do you plan on offering me in return?" Happy crossed his arms over his chest. Was this chick really negotiating with him right now?

"What I mean is that I have no problem not sleeping around with anyone else but you are going to have to do something for me. I'm not trying to make rules for you or anything like but respect is an important factor to me. So I would appreciate it if you would keep your dick only in me when it comes to the Charming population." Marisa remembered the conversation she had with Gemma at the dinner after the "skateboard to the face" incident. She knew that she wasn't in a position to make demands but if this was going to go anywhere, he had to show her some good faith.

"Deal." Marissa was a bit surprised that Happy easily agreed. She was still lying on the floor as she looked up at him.

"Do I have to stand up so we can shake on it or something?" Happy grinned.

"I've got a better idea." Marissa giggled as Happy tackled her on the floor and laid down on top of her.

* * *

><p>"What are you watching?" Happy asked as he sat on the couch and Marissa curled up in his side. It had been an exhausting day. After putting in 9 hours at the garage, she had to spend two hours at the grocery store getting ingredients to cook Thanksgiving dinner at Gemma's in a few days. Marissa figured that she would make some fruit salad and baked macaroni and cheese. She would leave the turkey and ham shit to Gemma.<p>

When she finally made it back to the house, she was a little disappointed that Happy wasn't there. Ever since Juice's homecoming party, Happy had spent every night at her house. She welcomed the company and she secretly enjoyed the fact that behind closed doors, she was being allowed to see a different side of Happy. She felt privileged.

After the kiss they shared in front of everyone, Marissa prepared herself for some kind of backlash. She felt like she needed the blessings of all the guys before they could proceed. Of course, Lyla, Gemma and Tara had been ecstatic. Jax ruffled her hair and said he was a good man. Chibs, Opie, Bobby, Piney and Juice had all kissed her and more or less gave her permission. However it was Tig's reaction that made her heart melt.

He had taken her outside and asked if she was sure of this. Marissa had been honest in saying that she didn't know what was going to become of them but she was willing to stick around to find around. Tig gathered her in his arms and told her that he would always be there. Those few words meant the world to Marissa in ways that she knew she would never fully be able to express.

Happy had just gotten out of the shower when he joined her on the sofa. He had pulled in a long day at TM and then did a gun run before heading back to Marissa's. One thing he had noticed was that she never seemed to ask any questions about his "club business." He didn't know if that was because she didn't think she had the right to ask or if she just didn't want to know.

"Diners, Drive Ins and Dives." Marissa replied taking a sip of her bottled water.

"What?" Marissa rolled her eyes.

"Okay, seriously? Have you been living in a cave?" Happy pulled a strand of her hair.

"Not all of us are TV and movie junkies."

"That's Guy. He travels all over the country in his awesome red 67 SS Camaro. Anyway he goes to all these little places that most people have never heard of but always seem to have the best food. It gives little mom and pop shops some advertisement." Happy looked at her before grabbing the remote from her hand.

"Hey it's not polite to take the remote from the person's hand whose house it is."

"Who said I was polite?" Marissa turned towards the TV when Hap put the remote down.

"World's Dumbest Criminals? Really Hap?"

"It's funny." Marissa watched the show for a few moments before she started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Do you think Juice will end up on this show one day?"

* * *

><p>"What's the plan?" Marissa looked up at Happy from her spot at the bathroom mirror where she was curling her hair. She had on a pair of black dress pants and a purple shirt that dipped in the back.<p>

"I have to be at Gemma's by 11 to do my womanly duties of cooking and setting up. Gemma said she is expecting dinner to start at 6 because the football game comes on at 8 and we will have lost you all by then." Happy looked down at his watch. It was a quarter after 9.

"I'm headed to Bakersfield for a few hours. I'm going to try to be back by dinner. If I don't get there by then, I will be there before half time." She nodded before kissing him and telling him to be careful.

"Gemma, I'm not a complete disaster." Tara groaned as the women were all standing in the kitchen, preparing various dishes.

"Maybe not in surgery you're not; but in a kitchen? Just…stir this batter and stay away from all knives or kitchen appliances." Marissa laughed while cutting up bananas.

"Hey Tar? Remember when you set the microwave on fire at our apartment?"

"That was not my fault!" Tara exclaimed as the other ladies laughed. "I had just pulled an all nighter studying and I was tired and hungry."

"And apparently blind." Marissa turned to explain the story to everyone. "She placed a bowl of food in the microwave with the metal fork still in the bowl. I came home from work to the fire department in our living room."

"Don't make fun. You once kicked a chicken across the kitchen floor."

"That damn thing was not a chicken. It was the devil in chicken form." The ladies continued to laugh and share stories. Marissa had never had this growing up. It had been just her and her mom for so long that they didn't have big family dinners or holiday traditions.

"Is Happy going to be here or is he spending Thanksgiving at his mom's?" Gemma asked.

"He headed to Bakersfield early this morning. He said he was going to try to make it for dinner but if he couldn't he will definitely be here in time for the game."

Marissa had been thankful for the little break. She sat on a chair and fed Abel as everyone was putting the finishing touches on dinner. The guys had been slowly making their way in the house for the past hour but Happy had yet to show up. Every time the front door opened, she silently waited and tried to not get her hopes up. It may seem silly but this was going to be the first holiday that she spent with Happy and SAMCRO and she wanted it to be special.

She was staring down at Abel when a familiar pair of boots came into her view. Marissa looked up and smiled. "Hey you." Happy leaned down and kissed her before placing a hand over Able's head. "How's your mom?"

"Today was good. She was heading to a center to help out with dinners so she all but kicked me out of the house and told me to enjoy myself."

"Come on you guys. Turkey is on the table." Tara peeked her head in the kitchen while smiling at the pair. Her best friend looked, for lack of a better term, happy. Tara prayed that it would stay that way.

Everyone had found a seat around the table. Marissa was sitting next to Happy as he had an arm wrapped around the top of her chair. They all looked up at Clay as he stood.

"Before we eat, there are a few things I want to say. To my brothers, we have made it through another holiday together. I think it goes without saying that every time we can all sit here together, it's proof of the strength of this family. To my Queen, you are my everything and I love you so much. To our favorite doc, thanks for all you do and making sure that Abel is home where he belonged. To Lyla and Marissa, you are the newest members of this family but it doesn't make your roles any less significant. Lyla, thank you for making Opie smile again. Marissa, thank you for protecting Gemma. I can never express my gratitude for everything you have done in the short amount of time that you have been here. This is your home now baby girl and we will always be there for our family. Alright everyone, dig in."

For the first Marissa understood why Clay was the President. The man truly had a way with words. She winked at Tara when their eyes met. Clay had been right, Marissa was finally home.

"That was a bullshit call!" Marissa yelled at the television. Dinner was over and while most of the women were talking in the kitchen, Marissa was sitting next to Tig watching the Cowboys play.

"Looks like your Cowgirls won't be able to pull off a win, Hurricane."

"Shut it Tigger. You are a Chargers fan which basically means that you have no right to have an opinion about any team, ever." She cheered when the Cowboys got a first down and realized that this may have been the best holiday she ever had.

* * *

><p>"If you plan on waking me up like this every morning, I have no complaints." Marissa's voice was still laced with sleep but her body was fully awake. Happy looked up her from his spot between her legs. <em>Jesus, does this man need to be talented at everything?<em>

"Tried the old fashioned way but it didn't work." Marissa looked over at the clock and realized it was 4 in the morning.

"You just get home?" Marissa noticed that she had been making more and references to this being their home but neither one had bothered to correct her.

"About a half an hour ago. Now…" Happy grabbed her legs pulling her closer to him. From his position on top of her, he took in her bed head, pouty lips and glazed eyes. "I suggest you hold on." Marissa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Happy took both of her hands and forced her to grab on to the headboard. He placed kisses down her body as two fingers found her insides.

"Don't you dare move your hands." Happy commanded. His manly take charge approach was such a turn on for Marissa. She looked down and tried not to show a reaction as his fingers worked her insides as he tongue ran over the outline of the tattoo on her hip. He was driving her crazy and he knew it. He looked up as Marisa started moving her hips in movement with his fingers.

"Is there something you wanna ask me?" Happy cockily looked at her and Marissa wanted to scream. She knew he wouldn't move until she relented and asked.

"Damn it Happy, will you fuck me already?" No sooner than the question had escaped her lips did Happy slid inside of her. He rode in a fast pace and she met every one of his thrusts head on. She felt the beads of sweat trickling down her back as she struggled to keep her hands on the headboard. Her legs had somehow managed to be on his shoulders, giving him better access and driving her wild.

"God, you are really good at that." Marissa bit out as she used the headboard for leverage to pull her body up and arch closer to Happy. After they were both spent, they laid next to each in exhaustion. Happy was running his fingers up and down Marissa's back and she was simply smiling at him.

"If I'm late for work in the morning, I will blame it all on you." Happy rolled his eyes but pulled Marissa closer.

* * *

><p>It was six in the evening by the time Marissa was able to shut down the computer at TM. Gemma had left hours ago in order to relive Neeta who had a doctor's appointment. Marissa glanced at the clock one more time before shutting the office door and quickly changing her clothes. If she hurried, she could make it to the 6:30 kickboxing class. Happy had come into the office a few hours ago and said that he and a couple of the guys had some errands to run and he would just meet her back at the house.<p>

Marissa walked out the office dressed in a sports bra, baggy sweats and sneakers. She spotted Lyla standing outside and made her way over.

"Hey baby girl. Are you looking for Opie?" Marissa rummaged through her purse looking for a ponytail holder.

"Actually I was looking for you. Do you have a minute?" Marissa really wanted to get to her class but she nodded as she started to pull her hair back in a tight bun on top her head.

"I was at work today and some of the girls were talking about you. Well, more like one girl and she was saying some pretty harsh shit. I told her to shut the fuck up but I just thought I should give you a heads up. Some of these bitches have no intention of backing off when it comes to Happy." Marissa started open and closing her hands.

"Let me guess; it's that Carly bitch isn't it?" Lyla nodded as she bit her lip, unsure of how Marissa was going to react. Marissa had been nothing but kind to Lyla since their first meeting and the young porn star felt like she owed Marissa the truth when her name was being mentioned in such a negative way.

Marissa looked around the parking lot and her eyes became focused on a silver Prius. "Isn't that her car?" Lyla looked over and nodded. "Funny the bitch is worried about the environment when she clearly isn't worried about her safety." Marissa dropped her purse on the table and made her way inside the clubhouse.

She scanned the area and saw Carly standing by the bar talking to Ima. _Stupid hoe don't even know she's in danger. _Marissa saw nothing around her as she made her way towards the bar.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that you shouldn't talk shit behind someone's back that you can't say to their face?" Carly turned towards Marissa and rolled her eyes when she saw Lyla standing by the door. Carly should have expected Lyla to say something to Marissa. After all Lyla was slowly becoming more old lady than porn star these days.

"What? I didn't say anything that wasn't true. You are just new pussy walking around here but Happy will get tired of you and come back. They all come back." Carly flipped her hair back with a self-assured flair. "Besides, I don't care who you think you are, I am not scared of you."

"It would be smarter if you were." Everything happened so fast that Marissa had blacked out during her rage. She backhanded Carly so hard that they woman smacked her face on the bar. Before Carly could even blink, Marissa had her pinned to the floor with both knees on top of Carly's arm, making her unable to fight back. The right handed punches that Marissa was throwing was so hard, that Marissa would be surprised if she didn't break every bone in Carly's face.

She heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't care. When someone tried to grab her arm, Marisa jerked her elbow making contact with whoever was behind her. It took a minute but she was finally being lifted off of Carly's almost lifeless body. As Chibs, Jax and Juice were pulling her away towards the back; Marissa couldn't stop herself from getting in one last dig.

"Good luck sucking any dick with a broken jaw, bitch."

* * *

><p>Happy pulled into TM with Opie and Tig. He saw the Roadrunner still in the lot. Happy swore that Marissa would have left for the day by now. He pulled his helmet off and started to walk towards the front doors. He saw Jax, Juice and Lyla looking at him with an unreadable expression.<p>

"What?" Jax shook his head as he puffed on his cigarette.

"You got a problem on your hands, bro." Happy started to think back to what could possibly be going on. Lyla kissed Opie hello before standing to the side, knowing that Happy was going to be pissed at what took place earlier.

"What kind of problem?"

"A feisty little Puerto Rican problem. Rissa went all De La Hoya on some crow eater about an hour ago. It wasn't pretty man. I'm all for a chick fight but that shit was just brutal."

"SHIT!" Happy roared as he ran a hand over his bald head. He hadn't even touched a crow eater since he made Marissa that deal so he wondered what prompted her to snap out.

"I think she cracked one of my ribs." Juice complained as he held his side after the elbow to the gut he taken from Marissa when he tried to pull the woman away earlier. Tig started to laugh but stopped short when Happy glared at him.

"How bad was it?" Jax laughed slightly.

"Remember when we saw her hitting that bag a few months back?" When everyone nodded, Jax continued. "Imagine the damage she was doing to the bag on someone's face. Prospect had to take the sweet butt to the hospital. Shit was nasty."

"Where is Marissa?"

"We put her in your room so that Chibs could patch her up."

"Did the croweater get some licks in?" Tig asked which caused everyone to shake their heads.

"Nah, Chibs is just fixing her knuckles and shit." Jax turned towards Happy. "I wouldn't recommend going in there right now. The Rissa that is in there right now? She scared the shit out of me."

Happy through caution to the wind after 3 cigarettes and made his way into his dorm. He stood in the doorway as he watched Marissa sitting on the bed and Chibs was working on her right wrist. She had a blank expression on her face as Chibs worked. The Scotsman looked up when he was finished and kissed Marissa on the forehead before motioning for Happy to step outside.

"Lassie has a hell of a right hook on her. She sprained her wrist but other than that, she should be alright. From what I was able to gather, this wasn't you fault, well not really. Apparently bitches that talk shit, get hit." Happy raised an eyebrow. "Baby girl's words, not mine." Chibs patted his brother on the shoulder and wished him luck before walking down the hallway.

When Happy made it back in the room, Marissa was pacing the floor talking to herself in Spanish. Her face was red as she started talking louder. Happy wasn't fluent in Spanish but he knew enough that the words coming out of her mouth were anything but pretty.

"You alright?" Marissa jerked her head up and looked at Happy. Happy had seen that look before. Gemma was famous for looking at Clay like that and even Tara had thrown a few of those glares Jax's way. Now with that look aimed at Happy, he understood why the men would become scared. That shit was down right frightening. _Am I alright? Is he fucking blind?_

Marissa continued to pace as her mind ran a mile a minute. That's it, she decided. She didn't care if this would make Happy uncomfortable but there was a conversation that needed to take place right now. She needed to know once and for all where she stood in his life. They needed to define and label what the fuck they were doing before she lost her mind. Either they were going to be together in every sense of the word, or she was the fuck done. Marissa finally stopped pacing and looked at Happy.

"We need to talk." Before Happy could prepare himself for what seemed to look like the beginning of a fight, he was saved by the bell. Well, actually he was saved by Clay who came in the room and announced that church was getting ready to start, leaving no room for argument.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Marissa was still pissed as she took two Advil to stop the throbbing in her wrist. After Happy had went to church, Marissa quickly left and headed back towards her house. She was not going to sit around the bar waiting for on him. He needed to come to her.<p>

Happy never came back home last night and Marissa didn't know how she felt about that. On one hand, she guess they both needed a minute to breathe but on the other hand, she couldn't help but wonder if he was avoiding her in order to not have the talk. Marissa walked towards the front door and opened to reveal Tara, Gemma and Abel. She rolled her eyes and prayed that they were not here to lecture her on her behavior from yesterday. Marissa put a hand up stopping them both from saying anything.

"I don't wanna hear it. That bitch deserved exactly what she got." Gemma and Tara walked in the house with a serious expression on their faces.

"Baby, you need to pack a bag and head back to the compound as soon as possible. Make sure to lock up everything."

"What the hell for?" Marissa asked, slightly pissed that she was being bossed around right now.

"We're going on lockdown."


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: I have decided that even though everyone is going into lockdown, there will be a time gap between the Zobelle retaliation and Abel's kidnapping. I'm doing this to allow for a few good moments to happen in between the bad shit._

_I know a lot of you that reviewed have questions about Marissa's past and I just want to say that it will come out soon, my guess is within the next three or four chapters. As always, your reviews make me smile and force me to work faster to keep your interest._

* * *

><p>Marissa stormed to her bedroom to pack a few bags, more than a little irked about the latest SAMCRO crisis. Tara and Gemma waited in the living room. Tara was scared, she had never been apart of a lockdown before and she wasn't sure what to expect. All Jax told her was that the Zobelle problem was finally going to be taken care of and that he needed everyone together. Tara couldn't help but to hold Abel a little tighter.<p>

"I'm going to go talk to her." Gemma stood while Tara looked at her.

"And say what? Give her the "no matter how pissed off you are, you still have to play the good little Stepford wife" speech? Gemma, Marissa is not like your other puppets. She doesn't follow orders well and she rarely listens to anyone when she is pissed off."

Tara had been working when Kip had brought Carly into the hospital. To say Marissa had whopped her ass would have been an understatement. Carly had a shattered cheek and a broken jaw. She looked like something that had been run over. Tara had went to Marissa's after work and the woman was sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of Jack in her wrapped hand and a pissed off expression on her face. The pair had sat together for a few hours but it had done little good. By the time Tara left around midnight, Marissa was still mad, even more so at not seeing Happy walk through the door.

"I don't give a shit how pissed off she is. The last thing she wants is for Happy to be killed and her glaring at him be the last memory she has."

"Jesus Gemma, dramatic much?"

"Realistic baby." Gemma walked into the bedroom to see clothes thrown all over the place.

"So you wanna tell me what the fuck this lockdown is? Or is this going to be some information that I'm not privy to and am just supposed to keep my mouth shut and my head down?"

"Okay, first of all, swallow back the attitude: I didn't do it. Secondly, sit down. There are some things that we need to go over before we head to the compound." Marissa rolled here eyes but sat. _Great, here comes the set of fucking rules. Can't even be mad at the man properly around here._

"Clay and the boys think that are finally able to deal with Zobelle the way they want to. That's the purpose for this lockdown. Some major shit is getting ready to happen and it's easier for the guys to know that everyone they care about is together in one space. The last thing they need to be doing is worried about us and lose focus. The lockdown is because this could take a few days or a few weeks. Our job is to make sure everything runs smoothly. Me, you, Tara and Lyla have to keep everyone's fears at bay and be the backbone."

"I'm not an old lady Gemma." Marissa stated to remind both herself and the woman next her.

"Maybe not yet, but this is the time when your lack of emotions will come in handy. Tara and Lyla are going to be scared out of their minds and they need some reassurance. As far as the shit that is going on between you and Happy, you need to shelf it. I'm not saying you don't have the right to be pissed, but you gotta hold that anger in baby. At least for now."

"I don't know if I'll be able to do that, Gem. As we both know, anger is an emotion that I do very well." Both women smirked.

"Then think of it this way: you can't curse out a dead man. Coming from someone who has yelled at a damn tombstone more times than I can remember, trust me when I tell you, it's not something you ever want to do."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the three women and Able made their way inside the clubhouse. After Marissa had packed, the women had to go on a massive shopping spree. For three women that loved to shop, it was officially the most depressing trip ever. Instead of clothes and shoes, they had to buy activities for the kids, medical supplies and enough food to feed an army.<p>

Marissa was in the kitchen putting food away and trying to not lose her patience. She took what Gemma said to heart but the old phrase "easier said then done" applied to her right about now.

"Hey." Marissa looked up at Lyla. "The boys are here." Marissa sighed and placed a pack of cookies on the table before following.

She scanned the room and found Happy standing next to Koz. She made eye contact with him but chose to stand next to Juice instead of running to be by his side. They all looked when Tig whistled signaling the beginning of Clay's speech.

"The reason why you are all here is because you're family and SAMCRO takes care of family. There are a lot of bodies in the clubhouse but keep in mind that we are doing this to keep you all safe. I've already had one person hurt under my leadership and I will not allow that to happen again." Gemma briefly closed her eyes and Tara grabbed her hand, offering silent support. "If you must leave this compound, you are not to go anywhere unless there is someone wearing a cut with you. If you have any comfort concerns, please talk to my Queen. I love you all."

Everyone started to clap and holler. Another famous Clay Morrow speech for the books. People started splitting up in groups, talking and joking amongst themselves as it was any other day. Marissa sighed loudly. _How the hell am I going to get through this?_

"Thanks." Happy said to Marissa as she set a plate of food in front of him. He watched as she reached in her back pocket to reveal a bottle of hot sauce. She placed it down and walked away without saying a word. Happy had been getting the cold should from Marissa all day, but she had been taking care of him the whole time. When he went in his dorm, he saw that Marissa had placed their bags in the corner and his toiletry kit was on the sink. She had made sure that he had everything he needed from her home. She had handed him beer when he's started to run low and she even fixed him a plate but she had yet to utter two words in his direction.

He watched with hawk like eyes as she carefully picked up Abel, being mindful of her wrist. She walked over to the kid's table and he heard her giving orders like a mini Gemma.

"Alright guys, dinner is done. Let's go in the room to find something to keep you guys occupied."

"Can I write my list to Santa?" A little girl with pigtails and missing teeth asked. Marissa had even't realized that Christmas was just a few weeks away. With everything going Marissa was surprised she knew her night from day.

"Santa Claus doesn't exist doofus." An older boy responded and Marissa knelt down in front of him.

"If you wanna be a non believer that's fine, but don't you dare say that in front of these kids again." Marissa's voice was low but firm. She started pushing the kids towards one of the empty dorms where they had set up a play area. She reached in Abel's bag and placed a blanket over her shoulder and something in her back pocket. When she walked away, Happy noticed that her pocket held a baby bottle.

"She's pretty amazing, huh?" Happy looked to his left as Bobby and Piney had placed themselves next to him. Happy simply nodded and turned back towards his fried chicken.

"You in the dog house aren't you?" Happy couldn't help but to laugh at Piney's perceptiveness. For a man that started drinking at sunrise, you still couldn't get anything past him.

"That obvious huh?"

"Normally that girl looks at you with stars in her eyes Today she is looking like she's thinking about poisoning your food." Happy dropped the piece of chicken from his hand and pushed the plate away from him. It's wasn't that he thought Marissa would actually tamper with his food, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Is this about what happened yesterday?" Happy took a pull from his beer.

"I think so…I don't know anymore." Hap paused for a second. "I never came home last night." Both older men looked at each with shocked expressions.

"Well that was a stupid move." Happy looked over at Bobby.

"No offense Elvis, but I think you are the last one to be giving me relationship advice."

"Hey just because I have a few divorces under my belt doesn't mean that I don't know women. While the rules change every damn day there is one constant rule: don't ever not come home after a fight unless you are on a run."

"I was giving us both a chance to cool down."

"That's your rational thinking; women don't think rationally. She probably thinks that you not going home is a sign that you no longer want her. She's a woman, not a whore. They operate differently. A woman has feelings and shit." Hap snorted.

"Have you met that woman? She don't react to shit."

"Just because she doesn't show it, don't mean that she doesn't have feelings. Every woman has feelings, whether we like or not." The trio sat silently and watched as Marissa made her way back to the room. Hap watched as she looked around the room before heading towards the bar.

"Have you guys seen Jax or Tara?"

"Nah darlin', not for awhile."

"Great, they are fucking and I'm playing Mary Poppins to the Children of the Corn." Marissa smiled at the little boy on her shoulder. "With the exception of him, of course."

"Can I get you something to drink?" Marissa looked around to make sure that the sweet butt was talking to her.

"Uh a coffee, heavy on the sugar and cream please." Marissa still looked curious when the girl walked away.

"They are showing respect." Piney said. "Either that or they are terrified of you and would like to keep their faces in tact." Everyone laughed until the girl came back with Marissa's coffee. She thanked the girl and walked away.

"You need to make things right with her." Piney said as he took a sip from his tequila bottle. "She's beautiful, loyal, trust worthy, and tough as nails. That is an Old Lady if I ever seen one. She's what we all look for when we patch in. You find a way to do right by here, you here me? Cause there is nothing worse than being a bitter old man with no one to love them."

* * *

><p>"Where the hell were you?" Marissa asked Tara while sitting outside. She noticed the doctor's knuckles and laughed. "Looks like I'm not the only running around solving problems with her fist."<p>

"It was that administrative bitch. She was getting on my last nerve so I had to go all Gemma on her." They both looked towards the door as the men started to trail out, singaling that they were getting ready to go. Marissa watched as Tara grabbed Jax in a hug and started talking to him. When Happy walked out the door, Marissa stood up. They each sized each other before Marissa took a small step forward. Happy used that as a sign and moved closer until they were chest to face.

Marissa ran a finger over the patches on his cut. She looked up at him for a few moments before speaking.

"I don't want you to make some false promise by saying that you will be alright because we both know that might not be the case. So I'm going to ask that you just try your damndest to come home to me."

"You still mad?" Marissa wanted to scream yes but she held it in.

"A little but it's not important right now." Gemma's words came back to Marissa. "We will have to have a talk when you get back but I have no intention of fighting with your corpse." She stood on her toes and pulled Happy down for a kiss. She tried to make the kiss sweet and simple. She refused to kiss him like she would never see him again because that would just mean that she honestly didn't believe that Happy would come back to her.

She stood back and wrapped her arms around Tara who had put her sunglasses on so no one would know that she was getting to cry. She watched as the men all took off and prayed that they would all make it back in one piece.


	18. Chapter 18

A little under 72 hours later, the job had been done. Jax took out Weston in a tattoo bathroom while Happy beamed with pride. Zobelle initially proved to be a bit more difficult as the old man had hired the Mayans for protection. It took two days but Zobelle finally bit the bullet, literally in an ice cream shop in broad daylight. They had breathed a sigh of relief for the crisis finally being taken care of. However, leave it to Bobby to be the realist of the group.

"Well boys, I guess we should have a week before the next shit storm starts."

Happy scanned the parking lot and noticed that Marissa was not standing with the other women awaiting his arrival. He noticed that her car was still in the lot but she was no where to be found. He tried to damper down his disappointment as all the guys hugged and kissed their significant others. He watched Gemma approach him after kissing both Jax and Clay. She laid a motherly hand on Happy's cheek.

"She's in your room. Damn girl has been running herself ragged since you guys left. She finally passed out on one of the couches so I had the prospect lay her down in your room." Happy breathed a sigh of relief. She had stayed, despite the fact that she was mad. He needed some advice and Gemma was the closest thing he was going to get to his mother right now.

"I don't know what to do Gem. I haven't been with the same woman for more than a week since I patched in. I'm out of my element." Gemma simply smiled.

"You need to offer her more than dick and protection. The whole fight with the crow eater was about her fighting for respect. These bitches know that you two are fucking, but until you two are together in every sense of the word, they are still going to think that you are fair game." She placed a kiss on his cheek and all but pushed him towards the front door.

When Happy walked into his dorm, he softly shut and locked the door behind him. He sat in the chair opposite Marissa and just stared. The moonlight seemed to be shining on her and gave her silhouette a majestic look. She was curled up in the fetal position with her framing her face. He noticed that she had on one of his long sleeved shirts and striped socks. Further inspection saw her cell phone clutched to her chest as it was a life line.

Happy got up and sat gently on the bed moving strands of hair from her face. She had survived lockdown like a true old lady: taking care of business and never letting anyone see her break. Looking down at her, a realization hit Happy like a ton of bricks. She was THE one for him. She wasn't just sex and home-cooked meals. She was everything that Happy never knew he needed. Now he just had to figure out how to let her know.

* * *

><p>"Ready to have that talk now?" Marissa asked as she sat on the loveseat opposite of Happy. When she had woken up to see him alive and well, she promptly jumped him hoping that her body could convey what she wasn't able to vocalize. For the past few days they had been in what Gemma called "the aftermath period." There had a lot of fucking…A LOT of fucking but not much talking.<p>

Marissa had gotten out of the tub after relaxing her muscles and decided that it was time to get some things straight. Now that everything was okay on the club front, it was time to take care of home.

"And if I'm not?" Happy questioned. Knowing that they needed to talk didn't make him any less uncomfortable about it.

"You have the option to leave. But I should warn you: if you walk out of this house, don't bother coming back." Marissa said sternly. After a few tense moments, Marissa noticed that Happy wasn't leaving so she started to talk.

"Things were easier between us when it was just sex, but shit changed after that day on the beach and I can't ignore it anymore. Happy, I need more. I deserve more. I can no longer just be your consistent pussy or offer you a place to lay your head."

"So what do you want?" Marissa seemed focused on a piece of the carpet before answering.

"I want you, but I want ALL of you. I'm not saying that I want to place a crow on my body tomorrow but I want us to head in that direction. If you can't give me that, then I can no longer do this. I can't just have half of you; it's not enough for me anymore." Happy sat stunned at her words. He had never had a woman say those things to him and mean it. Sure, the crow eaters wanted to be an old lady and they made that known. But how many could actually do what Marissa had been doing the past few months? How many of them could sit in front of him making ultimatums with such a soft vulnerability?

"When you say all, what do you mean?" Happy needed to make sure of what she was saying. He was putting the ball in her court and he hoped she would make a slam dunk.

"No lies, no secrets. I need to know what's going on; not just what you think I can handle. I have no problem walking beside you, but I can't do it blind. I know that there are little details that I can't be privy to but I need to have a general idea of what the hell is going on." Marissa sighed as she moved her eyes up to meet his. "And the crow eaters stop right now. If you are on a run then that's different. Although I would prefer if you kept it to blow jobs only. No kissing because it's too intimate and if you have to fuck them bitches, face down/ass up is a good policy to have and don't have them showing up in a tow truck looking for you. If you think what happened to Carly was fucked up, you should see me when I'm really pissed."

Marissa sat up and crossed her legs. "So that's it. That is what I want from you. Can you give that to me?" Marissa held her breath praying that she didn't step over the line. She talked a good game but she honestly didn't know if she would be okay if Happy walked out of the door. She sat wide-eyed as Happy stood up and moved his way over to her. She squealed slightly when he picked her up, carrying her bride style to the bedroom.

He gently laid her down on the bed and took a moment to just take her all in. He placed his hands on opposite sides of her on the bed before leaving down to capture her lips in his own. The kisses were soft and sweet as if they were exploring each for the first time. They took their there time getting reacquainted with each others bodies in the most intimate way. It was no longer fucking or sex, this was different. It was filled with unspoken promises and reassurance. Marissa had blinked back tears more than a few times when Happy would gently hold her to his chest as their beating hearts set the rhythm for the two of them.

When they finally fell asleep, their limbs overlapping each other, they both knew that they were no longer casual fucking friends. They were officially Happy and Marissa, the couple. For better or worse, ride or die.

* * *

><p>"Look who has finally decided to join the land of the living." Marissa smirked from the office desk when Tara sat down.<p>

"Oh don't you start with me. Either you are getting really clumsy with the curling iron or all those marks on your neck are courtesy of Happy's mouth."

"Touche bitch." Marissa threw a pen at her friend. She was currently waist deep with repos on her desk, online shopping on the computer and a list on her IPhone. Christmas was only two weeks away and the ladies were running on all cylinders to try and make the holiday memorable. Marissa was slightly disappointed in the California holiday scene. It was a bit odd to see wreaths hung and lights lit without an ounce of snow on the ground.

"What is going on with you?" Marissa asked as Tara seemed to be bouncing in her seat.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're all bright and shiny and begging to be kicked in the face."

"Oh Bah Humbug, Scrooge. Where is your Christmas spirit? We have a lot to celebrate. This will be Abel's first Christmas. My man loves me and I get to see my best friend everyday. Plus there have been no disasters in over a week."

"Jesus Tara shut up with that shit. Didn't anyone ever tell you what happens when you say Macbeth in a theater? Bad things happen." Tara rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry if I'm not bouncing with holiday cheer, but Gemma has barely been in the office because she is too busy playing the Queen of Christmas Present. I'm up to my neck in repos because apparently there is a whole town of dumbasses that are maxing out their credit cards being Santa Claus instead of making their car payments. Plus I'm drawing a big blank on what the hell to get an outlaw biker for Christmas."

"I did have a reason for being here you know." Marisa raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow night you, me, Gemma and Lyla are going to have a real girl's night out. It will be more than just drinks at the clubhouse." Tara reached in her pocketbook and pulled out four pieces of paper. "I got us tickets to go and see the Adele concert."

Adele was a relatively new singer from England but Marissa had instantly loved her. She was a throwback to the singers of yesteryear and Marissa had been blaring her songs for awhile now. Marissa had to admit: she was pretty damn excited.

"It's at some blues club about an hour from here. We can dress up, have dinner and for one night not be surrounded by leather and bitches." Marissa reached over the desk and grabbed the tickets from her friend's hands, smiling at the idea.

* * *

><p>The girls sat down at the front table of Silk City Blues Club. Getting out of the house had proven to be harder than they had anticipated. Opie, Jax, Clay and Happy had sat in Jax's living room bitching about the ladies going out. They pouted even more when the ladies emerged from the back bedroom and they got a glimpse at their outfits.<p>

Lyla was dressed in a strapless light blue mini dress with 4 inch open toed hells and her hair pulled back in a fancy ponytail. Gemma was dressed in a low cut black dress that dropped to her knees and knee high boots. Her hair was teased to God and her makeup was dark. Tara had on a red wrap dress with matching heels. Her hair was bone straight and fell around her face. Marissa was dressed in a black capped sleeve dress that stopped mid thigh. It was paired with a leopard print belt and matching booties. Her hair was pinned up and showed off her silver hoops and matching necklace.

"I thought we would never get out of there." Lyla exclaimed as she took a sip from her Cosmo. "Did you see their faces?" The girls laughed.

"You would have thought we kicked them in the balls." Marissa agreed while shaking her head. The boys had loudly expressed their concerns about them going out. They had numerous excuses: it wasn't safe; they would be in a strange town, etc. etc. etc. Finally, Gemma stepped in, leveled them all with a stare and the women were able to head to the car.

2 hours later, the women were full, happy and a bit buzzed. It was nice to be normal for a minute, just a couple of girlfriends attending a show. No one gave them strange looks or feared for their lives. Marissa smiled as the chords to the song "One and Only" started to play. A tear managed to escape her eye when Adele's voice seemed to speaking to Marissa's soul.

_You've been on my mind  
>I grow fonder every day,<br>Lose myself in time  
>Just thinking of your face<br>God only knows  
>Why it's taking me so long<br>To let my doubts go  
>You're the only one that I want<em>

_I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before_  
><em>Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,<em>  
><em>You never know if you never try<em>  
><em>To forgive your past and simply be mine<em>

_I dare you to let me be your, your one and only_  
><em>Promise I'm worthy to hold in your arms<em>  
><em>So come on and give me the chance<em>  
><em>To prove that I'm the one who can<em>  
><em>Walk that mile until the end starts<em>

* * *

><p>"Jesus Christ. Were Santa's elves on meth when they decorated?" Marissa exclaimed as she walked in the overly decorated clubhouse on Christmas Eve. There were decorations everywhere and judging by the look on some of the guys faces, none of them were pleased at their dark clubhouse being turned into Winter Wonderland.<p>

"Hurricane, come over here doll and do me a favor." Marissa walked over to Tig and kissed him on the cheek.

"What's up?" Tig nervously pointed to a row of holiday dolls that were sitting on top of the bar.

"Can you please get rid of those fucking things?" Marissa laughed but went in search of a ladder. She knew all about Tig's fear of little porcelain figurines and wondered if Gemma had done that on purpose to fuck with Tig.

"What's with the getup?" Tig asked as he was finally able to relax when Marissa disposed of all dolls. She had on a pair of striped stockings and light up reindeer horns were on top of her head.

"I was at the hospital earlier helping Tara out with some of the kids." Marissa had spent her the better part of her day passing out gifts and interacting with children who were not able to be home for the holidays. She was marveled at how the children were able to smile and laugh despite it all. It was a good wake up call for Marissa when dealing with the events of her own life. There would always be someone that has it worse than you.

"Well now that you surrounded by adults, you mind taking that shit off your head?"

"They are cute, so bite me." Marissa stuck out her tongue and Tig pointed a finger at her.

"Watch your mouth young lady or I will put you over my knee and spank you."

"Promise?" Marissa asked causing them both to laugh. She kissed Tig one more time on the cheek before heading to the table to get a glass of egg nog. She shook her head as Bobby poured a half a bottle of whiskey in the cream drink before mixing it up with a spoon. When he saw Marissa approaching, he simply shrugged.

"I'm Jewish. All this Santa shit is making my head hurt." Marissa laughed as she heard her name being called across the room. She made her way to Gemma and hugged the woman.

"Hey. Since we are not having a big Christmas dinner tomorrow, I figured we could open presents tonight." The reason for the Christmas Eve celebration was because many of the members of SAMCRO were going to be busy the following day. Tig was going to spend the day with his daughters, Juice's mom and aunt were up from Puerto Rico so he would be with them, and Opie was taking his kids to see Donna's family.

Marissa went in one of the back rooms and started grabbing boxes and bringing them out to put under the massive tree in the main room. She had put a lot of thought in some of her gifts and she hoped everyone liked them.

She was sitting on Hap's lap with a drink in her hand as they watched Tara and Lyla help the kids open a few gifts. She laughed at the expressions on the kids face. Ellie was given a lot of clothes and various forms of girlie items. She watched as Opie groaned when she opened a make-up kit from Gemma.

"She's too young for that shit." Opie responded, sounding every bit the protective father. Kenny and Piper got more video games than they would ever know what to do with. Everyone laughed as Juice jumped to the floor and seemed to be just as excited as the young boys.

Abel got a lot of clothes that proved he was the SMACRO baby. Onesis with reapers, skulls and motorcycles on them, a tiny pair of Chuck Taylors and various skull caps. Marissa's gift weren't under the tree as she had dropped off the 15 boxes at Jax's house earlier. Jax complained that between Gemma and Marissa, Abel was going to be spoiled as hell.

She leaned back into Happy's embrace as he ran his hand over her stripped stockings. Their transition into being a couple had been met with little complications. Happy had officially moved into Marissa's house and her biggest complaint had been his taste in television. She was a little taken back by his neat freak personality but it ended up working out in her favor. She never had to worry about dishes in the sink or hair on her bathroom counter.

It was the adult's time to start opening gifts and Marissa was pleased that everyone seemed to like her choices. She had bought Bobby an Elvis bust statue that was a collector's item, a case of custom tequila for Piney, and a brand-new watch for Clay since he always seemed to lose or break his. For Opie, she brought a new chain link wallet, brand new video games for Juice, whiskey and tea flown in from overseas for Chibs and Jax got a massive photo collage filled with various pictures of his family that Marissa had taken over the past few months as well as pictures of Gemma, JT and Thomas that she gotten with help from Gemma. Jax gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek as he was clearly touched by the gift.

She gave Gemma a new pair of heeled boots, and Lyla a motorcycle jacket since the young woman didn't have one yet. When Tara saw the coupon for cooking lessons, she laughed and then cried when she saw the charm bracelet that Marissa had given her. The tears flowed down her cheek when Marissa lifted up her wrist and showed off her matching one. She got off Hap's lap as she got ready to give Tig his gift.

She came back in the room with a massive box that had holes in it. When Tig opened the box, he looked up at her with a questionable expression.

"I know she's not Missy, but I thought you would be able to give her a good home." Everyone looked on as the small Rottweiler licked Tig's face and he instantly fell in love. He grabbed Marissa and held her close, touched by the thoughtfulness.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Marissa was placing all of her open gifts under the small Charlie Brown Christmas tree in the corner of her living room. The night had been great but she was thankful when it was time to go home because the girl was damn near dead on her feet.<p>

She stood up and Happy came up behind her and started to rub her shoulders. She leaned back and closed her eyes letting his hands work magic on her aching muscles. She took a peek at the clock and smiled before turning around.

"Merry Christmas, Hap." She kissed him gently and pulled away before he could deepen the kiss. She skipped out of the living room with more energy than she had 5 minutes prior. She came back with a stack of presents and sat them down on the coffee table.

"I would just like to start off by saying; you are absolutely difficult to shop for so I hope you like them." Happy opened all his gifts and couldn't help but laugh. He had received hoodies, shirts and jeans, a limited edition of Pulp Fiction, and two skull rings. He kissed Marissa as a sign of thanks and told her to turn around. With her back towards him, Happy opened the coffee table drawer and pulled a box out. He opened the box and Marissa felt something touch her neck. When she looked down it was a necklace with a compass on the end of it. It was absolutely beautiful and she turned to Happy.

He saw the light shine in her eyes and he struggled to explain the meaning behind the necklace. He was never good at talking about shit like this but he needed her to know something. "This is to remind you that I will always try to come back to you. Not that I'm lost or anything….but when I have to leave….it…uh…as long as your wearing this compass, I will always know that getting back to you is my final destination." Happy hoped that she understood what he was trying to say to her.

Marissa put a hand on his cheek and smiled. "Thank you, I love it." She pulled him up off the couch and started dragging him towards the bedroom. "Now come on cowboy, let me model it for you."


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Hey everyone. I want to start off by saying your reviews and alerts are my drug of choice and I'm officially an addict. There are also a couple of things that I want to clear up: I apologize to anyone that finds my use of song lyrics annoying. Music helps to make the muse work and I love the idea of certain songs setting the mood for a scene._

_Another thing: There may be a bit of a gap in me being able to upload the next few chapters. I have an outline planned out but writing it down has proven to be harder than I thought. There is getting ready to be a major shift in the Happy/Rissa relationship and writing all of this angst is hard. _

_Also, I decided that this story will more than likely have a sequel, I just need to figure out where I want this story to end and the new on the begin._

* * *

><p>Marissa had every intention of sleeping the Christmas day away. She didn't have any plans and if she woke up before 3pm, she was going to be pissed. She figured that Happy would be spending the day in Bakersfield with family and she had told Tara that if she found the energy later on in the day, she would swing by Gemma's for dinner. So when she felt the sheets being torn from her body and a hand smacked her ass, she was far from happy.<p>

"Get up and get dressed. We got somewhere to be." Marissa groaned and rolled over.

"Why the hell are you so chipper this morning?"

"I had a good night."

"You're welcome." Marissa replied before reaching down to grab the comforter and wrap it back around her naked body. "You know a great way to show your gratitude? Let me sleep in peace." She heard Happy chuckle and she screamed when the covers were taken from her again. Before she could blink, Happy had placed her over his shoulders and walked towards the bathroom. He put her on her feet and pointed towards the shower.

"I'll give you an hour and then we gotta hit the road." Marissa leaned on the sink.

"Hi the road for what? Where are we going?" Happy kissed her on the forehead and started to walk out to avoid laughing in her face when he said the next line.

"I'm taking you to meet my Ma." He laughed out loud from the hallway.

"WHAT?"

Marissa ran a sweaty palm over her jeans as she drove through the streets of Bakersfield. Happy had never seen the woman so quiet before in his life. She had the radio turned down low and a death grip on the clutch the entire drive. To be honest, Happy didn't know that he was going to bring Marissa to meet his mom until last night. He watched her all night as she was running around the room taking the time out for everyone. He watched the sheer joy on her face when the gifts that she had given were met with happiness and excitement. He laughed as she and Tara reenacted a dance to the Chipmunks Christmas song, including swirling their hips around as if they had a hula hoop.

Marissa pulled into the small one story home in what seemed like a nice neighborhood. Happy got out of the car and started to gather presents from the back seat. He shut the door and started to walk up to the front door when he noticed he was walking by himself.

"You plan on getting out of the fucking car?" Happy asked as Marissa took a few deep breaths. _It's just his mother, you can do this Marissa. Yeah right, the mother that gave birth to the man who you are currently fucking. Mothers have never liked me. Oh God, Gemma told me how his mother is his world. If this lady doesn't like me, I'm screwed. _

Marissa slowly got out of the car and grabbed her messenger bag. She ran a hand over her hair and wondered for the 100th time if she was dressed appropriately in her red three quarter sweater and dark jeans. She stood back a little bit as Happy rang the doorbell. When the door opened, Marissa could hear a woman but had yet to see her.

"And who is this?" Marissa finally lifted her eyes up to look at the older woman. She was short, maybe only an inch or two taller than Marissa. Her black hair was cropped close to her head, which Marissa could only assume was from the chemo. She shared her son's deep onyx eyes and tanned skin. She was dressed simply in a pair of slacks and short sleeve shirt with an apron wrapped around her waist. She smiled warmly at Marissa.

"Ma, this is Marissa. Marissa, this is my Ma, Miriam." Marissa stepped forward to shake the woman's hand and was quickly pulled into a hug.

"Come in, come in. Let me get to know you before the vultures get here." Marissa looked at Happy who placed the bags down.

"She would be talking about my Titi Carmen and her family. They got a shitload of kids and grandkids." Marissa was startled when Miriam grabbed her hand and led her to a couch.

"Michael, get us something to drink please. Do you like wine dear?" Marissa nodded before mouthing "Michael?" to which Happy who just glared.

"You can't have wine Ma. How are you feeling by the way?" Happy asked his brought Marissa back a glass of wine, some iced tea for his mother and a beer for himself.

"Today has been a good day honey. These rounds of meds have been treating me good. I was even able to get up and cook a few dishes. Before you say anything, I have not been overdoing it. Carmen is going to be bringing over the ham and most of everything else. I'm just doing some small things." Miriam turned back to Marissa.

"So you're Marissa? I can see why my son likes you. You are certainly a pretty thing. Now don't be nervous around me. The fact that Michael has even brought you here speaks volumes about your personality. Michael has never brought a girl to meet his mother before. I think that has more to do with kinds of girls he was surrounding himself with."

"MA!" Happy's embarrassment was hilarious for Marissa to watch and she felt herself start to relax.

"Do you need any help in the kitchen, Miriam?" Marissa attempted to save Happy from anymore humiliation.

"She cooks too? Oh, Michael marry this one." Marissa laughed as she made her way to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"So Marissa, what are you exactly? I mean I can tell you are a Latina but what kind?" Dinner had been placed on the table and the kids were in the kitchen before the rest of Happy's family started asking questions. Marissa was having trouble with keeping up with everyone that was looking at her like she was a distinct animal sitting in front of them.<p>

There was Happy's Titi Carmen and her husband Jose. They had three daughters: Kristina, Jennifer, and Maria. All three daughters had a husband: Carlos, Juan and Brad. There were also about 8 kids whose names Marissa didn't even pretend to remember. Now she sat back as she was bombarded with questions from every angle as she kept a tight grip on Hap's knee. _Jesus and I thought the Charming welcoming committee was difficult._

"I'm Puerto Rican."

"Where were you born?"

"Miami."

"Do you have any kids?"

"No." Marissa swallowed her last bit of wine and nodded for Happy to refill her glass quickly.

"Where's your family?"

"Um, my mother passed and I don't have any siblings."

"Where's your father?"

"You tell me." She knew that the statement came out a bit harsher than she would have liked, but she was getting more and more uncomfortable. _Calgon, take me away. _

"Do you want to get married? Because Michael is not the type to be someone's husband."

"ENOUGH!" Everyone turned to look at Miriam who had slammed her palms on the table. "Eat your food and leave the damn girl alone. She did not come here to be interviewed. She came here with MY son to enjoy Christmas dinner. So cállate la boca all of you." Marissa smiled gratefully at Miriam who just winked in return.

"I wanna apologize for them. They can be a nosey bunch." Miriam explained after dinner while the two women were sharing a cup of coffee. All of Happy's family had left and Miriam had sent Happy to the market for some supplies.

"It's okay. I just…Hap didn't give me a lot of time to prepare so I was caught off guard." Miriam took a deep breath.

"You care about my son." Marissa looked up with wide eyes. "I've been on this earth for a long time sweetheart and I know what love looks like and it is written all over your face."

"I care for Happy a great deal, but…I don't think I'm capable of loving someone." _Again_

"Don't sell yourself short. We all deserve to love and be loved in return. I'm assuming that you are aware of my son's more…questionable activities or you wouldn't have made it this house." Marissa nodded. "Then you have won more than half the battle. He trusts you. He brought you home to meet his mother. All of those things are big steps for my son."

Marissa took in the older woman's wisdom as she heard her car door slam, signaling that Happy had returned.

"One more thing: be patient with him. He's stubborn like his father and can be closed off. Don't let him push you away."

* * *

><p>The New Year came and went and the chilly January air forced everyone to pull out the hoodies and sweaters. Tara walked into the garage to see Clay, Gemma, Jax, Happy and Juice standing there talking. She placed a hand in Jax's back pocket before reaching up for a kiss. She had spent the entire morning going over charts at the hospital and she had decided to swing by the garage to take Marissa out to lunch.<p>

"Hey guys. Is Marissa in the office?" Gemma shook her head.

"No. She asked for the day off. She said that she had a doctor's appointment and some other errands to run."

"Doctor? Is she sick?" Everyone turned to look at Happy.

"She seemed fine to me this morning, a little spaced out but fine otherwise."

"Did you knock her up? OW." Juice rubbed his arm after Jax punched him.

"Don't joke about that shit asshole." Tara knew that Marissa hated the doctor's and avoided them at all cost. She once had to literally drag the Latina to the clinic when she came down with walking pneumonia and was running a temp of 104.

"What do you mean by spaced out? How?" Tara's relationship with Happy had improved tremendously over the past few months. She and Jax would have double dates with Happy and Marissa. They had even managed to have a few conversations between just the two of them. Much like Jax was with Marissa, Happy had taken on a sort of big brother role to Tara. Tara was grateful that she was able to become close with someone for being more than just Jax's Old Lady.

"Uh, she really didn't say much this morning and she burnt the eggs. I asked her what was wrong and she said nothing so I didn't pry. What's with all the questions?" Tara just shook her head and tried to relax. If Marissa said she was going to the doctor, then Tara needed to believe that she was at the doctor. She leaned against Jax as she tried to get involved in the conversations around her. Her eyes glanced towards the bikini clad calendar in the corner.

"HOLY SHIT!" Tara shouted forcing everyone to look at her. "What day is it?"

Chalking it up to the young woman just being overworked and exhausted, Clay answered her. "It's Wednesday, darlin."

"No, no, not the day. The date. What's today's date?"

"January 21st" Gemma responded and Tara went wide eyed.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!"

"Babe, what's wrong?" Jax asked concerned but Tara just started looking in her purse for her keys.

"I have to find her." Tara ran towards the car, leaving everyone stunned.

Tara parked her car next to Marissa's before grabbing the plastic bag and walking towards the woman sitting on a bench in the middle of the cemetery. She had on a sweat suit with her hair pulled back in a pony. As Tara got closer, she heard a Leann Rimes song coming from Marissa's phone. She sat down besides her best friend and silently handed her a beer.

_Goodbye, there's just no sadder word to say  
>And it's sad to walk away<br>With just the memories  
>Who's to know what might have been<br>We'll leave behind a life and time  
>We'll never know again<em>

"I just realized what the day was." Tara said quietly to which Marissa snorted.

"It's not your obligation to baby sit me. I almost forgot too, how fucked up is that? I've been so busy playing house with a man that I almost fucking forgot."

"You are moving on. That's a good thing."

"I'm forgetting him Tara, how can that be good?" Tara sighed as she took a pull from her beer.

"You have been haunted by a ghost for seven years now, Ris. You have got to stop torturing yourself."

"Every morning I'm allowed to wake up, it's because of that ghost. That ghost is a constant reminder of what he gave up for me. What he lost because he loved me." A few tears fell from Marissa's eyes as she kept her head down. Marissa played with the compass around her neck before continuing.

"I made him a promise when I put him in the ground. I made him a promise and now I feel as those I'm not living up to it. I feel like I'm disrespecting his memory by being with Happy."

"Happy's not the first guy that you have been with Marissa."

"No but Happy's the first guy I…." Marissa trailed off and looked at the various tombstones and flowers laid out in front of her.

"You are a good woman and you deserve to find a good man. He wouldn't have wanted you to be miserable. You are doing his honor a disservice by not allowing yourself to move on and I mean completely move on."

"I've been thinking about a crow." Marissa blurted out as if it was the biggest secret she had been keeping to herself. "I have been thinking about branding my body to show that I belong to another man. I think I'm losing my mind. I mean, what happens if I put something that permanent on my body just to lose him?"

"Then you disappear for 11 years, come back, raise his illegitimate son and fall in love all over again." Despite her sadness, the way Tara delivered that ridiculous statement made her laugh. They each sat drinking their beer and listening as each song got sadder and sadder. It was as if Marissa's playlist just simply said "Torture."

"This…you moving on…it was a long time coming." Tara finally said.

Marissa turned to look sharply at her best friend who was ignoring her gaze. They were so different in the way that they handled emotion, it wasn't even funny. Tara wore her heart on her sleeve and Marissa locked everything in a safe that she no longer had the combination to. Instead of arguing the point and fighting, Marissa simply sighed.

"I know." She started to pull on the label of her beer, needing something to keep her attention other than this conversation.

"He's a good man. Jax says that besides Opie, there is no one else that he would want standing beside him in a blaze of glory but Happy. You need to trust him more, Rissa. You need to trust that he is not going to leave, whether it be by his own feet or a coffin. You are scared of how you are feeling and I understand but you can't do this to yourself. Not anymore."

"I know." Marissa replied again unsure of how to respond. She didn't know if what Tara was saying was true or not but she needed to believe her best friend. Marissa rested her elbows on her knees as she fought with the next words to come out of her mouth. She knew once she said it, she wouldn't be able to take them back. It was as if saying the words made it real.

"I love him." Marissa seemed to choke on her words. Telling Tara was just as bad as if she was to tell Happy himself. Those three little words held such an impact.

"I know." Tara threw Marissa' words back in her face.

"Fuck." Marissa dropped her beer on the grass and placed her head in her hands.

"I don't want to, Tara, I really don't want to."

"You don't have a choice babe. What the heart wants and what the brain needs is normally too very different things."

"You are a doctor, Tara. You know how the heart operates: it's an organ, it circulates blood and pumps. It does not however, have emotions and feelings. I learned that much from 10th Biology."

"You know what I mean asshole." Tara nudged Marissa before handing her another beer. Tara glanced down at her phone and saw five text messages from everyone that had been standing in the garage during her outburst. All of them were asking what the hell was going on?

"Uh, heads up. I noticed today's date while standing at the garage so you may have a question or twenty to answer."

"You didn't tell them, did you?" Tara shook her head.

"It's not my burden to bare or secret to tell, Marissa. I would never betray your trust, you mean too much to me. You plan on telling Hap that you love him?" Marissa shook her head. "So what? You are just going to pretend that you don't feel this way? You are going to just bottle your feelings? As you just pointed out, I'm a doctor and I'm telling you that if you keep this up, I will have to place you in psych ward by the time you are 30."

"I can't let this love consume me. I can't love another man just to have him ripped from me. So if I have to lie to myself for the rest of my life, then that is exactly what I will do. I know that you don't agree but as my best friend, I need you to hold my hand and respect my decision."

Tara didn't say anything. Instead she grabbed Marissa's hand and sat there for a few hours. The only noise that was heard was the clanking from their matching bracelets. The bracelets represented the strength of their friendship. When you have a best friend like this, words don't need to be spoken.

* * *

><p>Later on that night, Happy knocked on Jax's front door. Jax opened wearing a wife beater and pair of sweats. He held Abel's sleeping form in his arms.<p>

"Come on in bro. Let me just put the kid down." Happy grabbed a beer and sat down on the couch. A few minutes later Jax joined him.

"Your old lady is at the house."

"And you didn't wanna hang around for the mushy girlie shit?" Jax stated. "It's cool. I wasn't doing anything anyway. Did you ever figure out what had Tara running like her ass is on fire, cause I haven't seen her all night?" Happy shook his head.

"Nah. But I do know that she's not pregnant. Girl was inhaling a bottle of Jack when I stopped in the house." Jax turned the TV on until he stopped at Sports Center.

"Stahl's back in town." Jax stated.

"SHIT! Do we know why?"

"Who knows what that bitch is sniffing around for. You might wanna give Rissa a heads up so she doesn't go all cage fighter on the ATF. We can't afford her getting arrested for assault."

"Is the Irish going to be a problem?" Jax shrugged.

"We've got a lot of bad blood with IRA. Clay seems to think that we can repair shit but we all have to keep our heads in the game. If Jimmy shows up, I doubt if Chibs is going to be able to control his anger. Cameron said he's in town but we have yet to see him. Clay wants to have a sit down soon." Happy nodded but remained silent.

"I've been thinking." Hap said after a few minutes.

"What's up?"

"My ma has been feeling better lately and this shit with Rissa has changed my perspective on a lot of shit and I think it's time I made some changes." Jax didn't want to get his hopes but he had a feeling about what Happy was going to say.

"What kind of changes?" Happy placed his beer down.

"I want to transfer to SAMCRO."


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: I feel like I should go into hiding after you all read the end of this chapter. Don't be too mad and throw things at me from cyberspace._

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><p>They had been together for over four months and some times Marissa was amazed by how down right normal they seemed to be from time to time. She was sitting in her relaxation room, reading the latest Janet Evanovich book when Happy walked in the room. She peered at him over her black rimmed glasses. Happy rarely came in this room, knowing that this was her quiet place. The room was filed from wall to wall with books. She had set up a computer desk in one corner and a sound system in the other. The walls were a sea foam green and there was a tan chaise sitting by the window.<p>

"What's up?" Marissa asked hoping he wasn't going to tell her he was leaving for a week or something. He had yet to be transferred to SAMCRO. The Tacoma and NOMAD chapters depended on Happy fiercely and so Happy had to help tie up a lot of loose ends before he was able to stay in Charming.

"I gotta go on a run. I should be back no later than tonight." Marissa nodded. Happy been opening up more and Marissa knew when to ask questions and when to just leave well enough alone.

"Are you all going?"

"Except for Tig." A few days ago, Tig had a run in with some bounty hunters. The result of that was a banged up Tig who was pissed that he was going to miss all the action for a few days.

"Tell the prospect to bring Tig here. I have steaks marinating in the fridge that I was going to put on the grill for dinner. No sense in it going to waste. He can keep me company all day. Do you need me to pack you anything?"

"Nah, I'm just going to jump in the shower before I head to TM." Happy walked in the room and kissed Marissa. He ran a calloused hand over the back of her neck before turning away.

"Hey." Marissa called out. "Before you go out and play cowboys and Indians, you think you can imagine playing good boyfriend and take the trash down to the curb?" She laughed when Happy threw his shirt at her.

* * *

><p>"That was not funny! I could have broken my neck." Tara exclaimed from her spot next to Jax on the couch as the three people in the room laughed at her expense. It had been double date night filled with dinner and a movie. Now the four were sitting in Jax and Tara's living room trading stories.<p>

"It was your brilliant idea." Marissa exclaimed. The pair of women were talking about when Marissa had just opened up her bar and Tara had the bright idea to do a Coyote Ugly like dance on top of the bar. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. That was until Tara slipped on some spilled vodka during The Devil Goes Down To Georgia. That had been the first and last time there was any dancing on the bar.

Jax and Happy sat back laughing at the pair. Their stories about Chicago were a great source of entertainment for the men and they could just picture the trouble the two had caused on their own.

"How about the time that you flushed your phone down the bar toilet and forced me to go to the mall with you, in the middle of a snowstorm to get a new one?" Tara laughed when Marissa's mouth dropped open.

"That was not my fault. Who knew that the damn thing would fall out of my back pocket and into the toilet?"

"And you didn't even look behind you before you flushed?" Tara asked incredulously.

"Oh bite me." Marissa pouted causing the three to laugh harder.

* * *

><p>"I need a favor." Marissa stated when Gemma opened the front door. Marissa had just left the gym and her face was stained red. Gemma motioned for Marissa to take a seat in the living room. Before Marissa sat, she looked down at Abel napping in the playpen. Jax and Tara had gone on a romantic weekend getaway and Gemma had the baby for the next three days.<p>

She gratefully accepted the bottle of water and took a long sip. Gemma sat next to her on the couch, nursing a glass of wine.

"Hap's birthday is coming up. I don't think he wanted me to know but I had to approve some insurance documents at the garage and I saw it. So I was thinking that we throw him a party?"

"Hap doesn't celebrate his birthday. I can't imagine him being okay with a party." Marissa rolled her eyes.

"How different is a birthday party from what the guys do every weekend? I'm not going to hire a clown to make animals out of balloons or get him a cake with a fire truck on it. As long as it has booze and bitches, I think it will be alright." Gemma nodded her head.

"So you need me to help you plan and set up?"

"Well, there is that but I also need you to talk to Clay. Ask him if can get some guys from Tacoma to come down and maybe get a few NOMAD brothers. I know he's been feeling guilty and feeling like he is letting the other charters down."

"And you thought if they saw first hand how content he is in Charming, his transfer will go by faster."

"Is that selfish of me?"

"Nah baby. You just want to keep your man close. I'll talk to Clay about getting the boys together and we can start planning tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Happy pulled into TM around 9 at night. <em>Another year older. <em>Happy thought to himself. He was glad that Marissa had not made a big deal out of the day. Instead she simply kissed him, wished him a Happy Birthday and blew him in the shower. He spent the rest the day in Bakersfield with his mom, who had taken a small turn for the worse but her spirit was still as lively as ever.

Happy had rolled her eyes when Miriam had asked about Marissa's whereabouts. His mother had taken a real liking to Marissa and Happy didn't know whether or not to be worried. He walked into the clubhouse, intentions set on grabbing a drink when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Everyone screamed causing Happy to grimace. He was going to kill Marissa. He scanned the room and saw members from various charters in the room.

"Happy Birthday, old man." Juice said as he hugged Happy.

"Where is she?" Hap asked knowing exactly who was behind this party.

"She had to run in the back….Oh wait, there she is." Happy looked over in the direction where Juice was pointing.

Marissa walked in the room with tray in her hands. Her long hair was pulled into a low side ponytail. She had on a simple long sleeved black dress with ridiculously high heels. When she put the tray on the bar she turned so Hap had a view of the back of her. The front of her dress may have been demure but the back had two cutouts exposing her smooth skin.

She saw him and walked over and he tried his best to glare at her while she just looked amused. "Oh don't give me that look. The guys wanted to give you a piñata and an Elmo impersonator. So lose the attitude, kiss your thoughtful girlfriend, grab a drink and mingle." Instead of arguing like he wanted to do, he just did exactly what Marissa said, trying to desperately ignore her know-it-all look.

* * *

><p>"Who is that?" Marissa asked Gemma while playing with Tig's dog in the corner of the clubhouse. The Rottweiler was lapping up all of the attention given to him by the ladies. Gemma took a sip of her drink while looking to where Marissa pointed.<p>

"That's Sonny. He's the Tacoma President." Marissa looked at the man with the black slicked back hair and slightly average build. Marissa couldn't explain it, but something about that man made her uncomfortable. She tried to shake it off and remember that this was Happy's party and it was important for everyone to enjoy themselves.

"What's the deal with Lyla? She has seemed out of it lately."

"Opie has been distant after taking the kids to see Donna's folks for Christmas. She's feeling like she's fighting with the memory of a dead woman. I think she is just feeling insecure about her place in Opie's life. She said at this point she feels like just a babysitter and Opie is fucking the help."

Gemma scanned the room and saw Lyla sitting next to Piney just staring into her drink as the old man talked to her. Gemma had started to really come around to like Lyla and she hoped that the young blonde could ride out this latest obstacle. She placed a hand on Marissa's shoulders.

"You've done good baby girl. Not just with the party, but with everything. I'm proud of you." Marissa grinned as if she had just been given a blessing from the Pope himself.

* * *

><p>"So that's the bitch that got your nose wide open?" Happy glared and gritted his teeth but held his composure. He knew that punching the President of the Tacoma chapter would not be a smart move, but he was not pleased at Sonny's choice of words directed to Marissa.<p>

"That's her."

"She's hot. Got a nice little body on her. Great set of lips." Happy gripped his beer bottle tighter but still didn't say anything. "I gotta ask though, why her?"

"What do you mean?"

Sonny had been VP when Happy had showed up in Tacoma. Sonny had taken Happy under his wing and sponsored him. He had known the man for over ten years and he had watched as many one night stands came and went and Happy never blinked when they walked out the door. This was a far cry from the man sitting next to him now and Sonny didn't like the change.

"You really like the idea of giving up random pussy for one chick? What's so different about this broad that has got you all changed? Because I'm sure that you don't wanna transfer to SAMCRO to bond with Tig."

"Nothing about me has changed." Happy insisted.

"Bullshit. I watched you around here smiling, being all touchy-feely with the chick. What happened to my stone cold killer? The man who only cracked a smile once a year and it was normally aimed to some guy that you were torturing? What happened to that man?"

"I'm still the same guy Sonny." Happy turned to look at his long time friend. "Ain't shit about me changed just because I'm with Marissa."

"You know what I think." Sonny said, completely ignoring Happy's statement. "I think you are too wrapped up in this bitch. I think she has ripped off you balls and is wearing them as a pair of earrings. Let me ask you something, Hap. Are you still going to be able to take the risks needed to do your job? You going to tell me that you aren't going to pause a little longer now to think about if something happens to you, how it will affect her?" Sonny took a sip of his Jack on the rocks before forcing Happy to look him in the eye?

"Can you honestly tell me that being with this broad hasn't made you soft and weak?"

* * *

><p>Marissa watched as Happy damn near kicked the bar stool across the room as he stomped into the back. She noticed that Sonny was sitting there with a self-assured look on his face. His eyes met Marissa's and the older man gave her a creepy smile and a nod.<p>

She placed her drink down and excused herself from the conversation that she had been having with Chibs and Juice. She walked towards the hallway and stopped in front of Happy's dorm. She knocked twice before opening the door. She saw Happy sitting in the chair when she fully came in the door.

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked, unsure of what caused the sudden change in Happy's mood. She watched with wide eyes as Happy glared at her.

The talk with Sonny was fucking with his head. He trusted the older man so there had to be some truth to what he was saying, right? Maybe Marissa was making him weak. The bitch had him buying presents and taking her to meet his mom and shit. Happy barely registered it was his own voice when he finally replied to Marissa's question.

"Did I ask you to come in here and check on me?" Marissa recoiled at the sound in Happy's voice. His venom made her feel like she had been slapped.

"Well no but…"

"No exactly. You need to start learning your place around here. I run this." Happy said as he waved a hand between the two of them. Marissa had no clue where all of this was coming from and it was starting to scare her.

Happy saw the fear in Marissa's eyes and he wanted to take it all back. He wanted to hold her and tell her that he was sorry. That he didn't mean that but Sonny's voice was louder than the voice of reason. He wanted to shut his mouth. He wanted to stop using his words to hurt her, but he couldn't. It was as if he was being possessed by someone else.

"You don't stick you nose where it doesn't belong, do you understand me? If I walk away for a few minutes, you don't come looking for me unless I say so. You are NOT my old lady; you are just my whore." He watched as Marissa started to shake and her eyes welled up. "Now be a good little slut and go back to the bar until I tell you I want to see you." The look on Marissa's face made Happy ill but he couldn't stop himself. When she didn't move, just stood there staring at him, Happy grabbed a bottle of cologne and threw it at the wall, mere inches from Marissa's head.

"GO! NOW!" Marissa quickly ran from the room and Happy fought the urge to run after her. Instead, he destroyed every inch of the dorm room, daring anyone to interrupt him.


	21. Chapter 21

**Day One:**

Marissa spent the day after Happy's party in bed. She refused to get up to answer the door and she had broken her cell phone many hours ago. She flipped between tears of sadness and tears of anger. What the hell was going on with Happy? She never once thought there had been a problem in their relationship but the way he flipped out on her last night confused the hell out of her. He didn't come home last night, not that Marissa had been expecting him to but it didn't lessen the sting in her heart. She pulled the covers of her head as she heard the pounding on her door get louder.

**Day Three:**

Marissa adjusted her sunglasses as she walked into the office of TM. She had spent the weekend hiding in her house but she had bills to pay and in order to do that, she had to work. She had to admit: she looked somewhat presentable on the outside aside from the glasses covering her red-rimmed eyes. She remembered what her mother always used to tell her. _It don't matter how you feel. It only matters how you look. _She had been able to avoid everyone until Gemma walked in the office with a look of concern on her face.

"What the hell happened the other night?

"Your guess is as good as mine." Gemma lit a joint and the smell made Marissa a bit dizzy but she just chalked it up to the lack of food in her system.

"One minute everyone is having a good time and the next you are running out of the clubhouse and Happy is destroying everything in his path." Gemma eyed the woman carefully. Everyone had spent a good chunk of the weekend trying to figure out what the hell happened in the back room during the party but they were all coming up empty.

"I don't want to talk about it." Marissa made a big showing of grabbing paperwork, hoping that Gemma would get the hint.

"Did you two have a fight? Is that why he left?" Marissa's head jerked up.

"What do you mean he left?" Gemma looked at Marissa with a bit of sad eyes. _What was going on?_

"Sweetie, he went back to Tacoma Sunday morning." Marissa felt her heart stop.

"For good?"

"I don't know babe."

**Day 10:**

The sheets still smelled like him and it was starting to piss her off. She ripped the offending smell off her bed and felt a wave of anger. Before she knew it, she had broken lamps and pictures, cleaned off her drawers with a swipe of her hand and destroyed her closet trying to rid herself of anything that was a reminder of Happy.

She all but collapsed on the floor, exhausted when Tig came in the house. He found her sitting on the bedroom blinking rapidly but not crying. Wordlessly he held her in her arms until she fell asleep.

**Day 12:**

"This is bullshit!" Tig exclaimed as he was eating dinner at Gemma's.

"You're right Tiggy. Two people don't go from happy to miserable in 2.5 seconds without a reason."

"It's not our business." Clay said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"The hell it isn't. Whatever is going on between Rissa and Hap has made him go back to Tacoma and that is our business because we were counting on him being SAMCRO." Tig tried to use the club as a reason for concern but everyone knew it was bullshit. The only thing that he was concerned about was the woman who had been walking around the past 12 days with a blank expression.

"So what do you want to do Tig? Play relationship counselor? Have all of us go up to Tacoma and beat the truth out of Happy? Maybe lock Rissa in a room until that damn shell of hers cracks? How the hell do you want to handle this?" Clay asked frustrated. He wasn't any more pleased about the recent developments as anyone else but he had the good sense to shut up about it. Whatever was going on between Rissa and Hap was not the club's concern. Of course, he was the only that felt that way.

"I'm going to call him." Gemma said determined but Clay grabbed her arm refusing to let her move.

"Stay out of this Gemma, I mean it. The same goes for you Tigger." Clay pointed a stern finger but had a feeling that neither one of them were listening.

**Day 16:**

Marissa scanned the internet with a fierce passion. 16 days and she had yet to hear from Happy. She was looking at apartment listings across the country. She couldn't stay here where everything was a constant reminder of him. She needed to get the hell away and fast.

**Day 18:**

_Fuck him. _Marissa thought as she put a new comforter set on her bed. _This is my home now and I will be damned if I let him run me out of town even if he's not here. I'm not a runner and I'm not about to start being one now._

Marissa nodded her head as she grabbed her cell phone, calling Tara and inviting the woman out to lunch. She needed to shake herself free from this funk and quickly. She knew that everyone was worried about her. Marissa had been walking around in a haze. She came to the office, did her work and left. She rarely interacted with anyone and when people asked her how she was doing, she more than likely snapped at them.

**Day 25:**

_Fuck this. _Marissa had been walking in the garage when she over heard Jax talking on the phone. Curiosity won her over and she stood behind a car unseen as she listened to Jax's side of the conversation

"Clay's pissed that you put a hold on your transfer but I told him you still fully plan on being SAMCRO just not right now." Jax nodded his head and grabbed a cloth from the table in front of him.

"_I talked to him earlier and tried to explain. I owe Sonny my life, so I had to come to Tacoma to help with a couple of big runs before I head back to Charming." _

"Yeah plus it gives you time to avoid Rissa." Jax threw it out there and was somewhat proud of himself when Happy sighed. At least the bald man was showing some kind of emotion.

"_I'm not getting into it with you bro…..Is she….Is she alright?"_

"Hell no she's not alright." Jax exclaimed. There was no sense in sugarcoating anything and Jax hoped that if he knew Marissa was struggling, it would open the man's eyes and get him to fix this shit.

"_What does that mean? What happened?"_

"You fucking left her is what happened. Damn girl looks like shit. She got bags under her eyes, she barely says more than two words to anyone and she hasn't hung out in the clubhouse since your party. She ain't been crying or nothing, but she is so damn detached."

"_I did what was best."_

"For who? Cause you damn sure didn't do what was best for her. Tara and Gemma are terrified that they are losing Rissa. She went out to lunch with Tara once but that's been it. I don't know what happened and I'm not going to force you to tell me but I'm worried about her man, we all are. She's….she's not in a good way man and if you care about her at all, then you need to get down here and fix this shit." Jax turned and his eyes found Marissa standing there just staring at him before turning around and heading back in the office without saying a word.

**Day 42:**

"Fuck me!" Marissa exclaimed as she stared at the five pieces of offending plastic that was laid out on her bathroom counter. The lack of circles on her calendar was becoming hard to ignore. Marissa finally broke down and went to the store. Now she stood in the bathroom and prayed that all five tests were wrong. She glanced at the clock and knew she was going to be late for work. Marissa buried the tests in the trash just like she had been burying her feelings.

She walked into the office and tried desperately to put a smile on her face. She looked up as the door opened and Chibs walked in.

"Hey Chibs. Do you have any more of that tea left over from Christmas?"

"Sure do love."

"Do you mind if I make a cup of herbal?"

"Not at all. Do you want me to get it for you?" Chibs knew that Marissa had yet to walk in the clubhouse. She had avoided it at all costs so he was surprised when she shook her head and stood up.

Marissa was standing behind the bar, dipping the teabag in her cup when a smell hit her like a brick wall. She looked up to see Juice with an egg sandwich in her hand.

"Hey Rissa." Marissa just stared at the sandwich before bending over and throwing up in the nearby trash can.

**Day 51:**

"Let's go." Marissa looked up from her work to see Tig with his hands on his hips.

"Excuse me?"

"We have all let you sulk long enough and it stops here. So get your ass up and let's go. I'm hungry and you are treating." Tig's tone left no room for argument so Marissa simply stood up and followed the older man. When she noticed that they were walking towards his bike, she stopped in her tracks.

"Do you mind if we took my car?" Marissa asked. When Tig groaned and started to protest, Marissa decided to sweeten the deal. She dangled her keys in front of his face. "I will let you drive." She let out her first genuine laugh in almost two months when Tig grabbed the keys from her hand and practically skipped to her car.

"You need to talk about it."

"I don't wanna." Marissa pouted as she took a sip of her water. They were sitting in Nikki's Diner waiting for their food to arrive.

"I wasn't asking what you wanted. I said you need to talk about it. So start talking." Marissa sighed as she played with her straw but still didn't say anything.

"Alright. Let's start at the beginning. What was the fight about?"

"I don't know." When Tig went to open his mouth, Marissa cut him off. "I'm not lying, Tig. I honestly don't know what the fight was about. I saw him head to the back room, I went to check on him, he snapped out on me and then left to go to Tacoma. It didn't really leave me with a whole lot of room to figure out what was wrong with him."

Tig winked at the waitress when she placed his burger in front of him and then turned his attention back to Marissa. "So you two had a fight, big deal. Couples fight all the time and then they make up. Hell, look at Clay and Gemma. Why don't you just call him and work things out?"

"I'm not going to call him because I didn't do anything wrong. This is all on him. I refuse to go crawling back to him when it wasn't my fault."

"Who cares whose fault it was? You are miserable without him so bite the bullet, put on a pair of big girl thongs and make the first move."

"It's not that simple."

"How is it so fucking complicated?" _Because he called me a whore_. Marissa wanted to say but refrained to avoid pissing Tig off. She knew how the man felt about her and the last thing she wanted is the shit going on between her and Hap to start affecting his relationship with his brothers.

"He fucks up and I get fucking crucified for it. How fair is that? Everyone is looking at me like I took away their brother but I'm not the one that told him to leave. He did that all on his own. So I'm sorry if I took away from your bromance but I am not going to start begging on my knees for him to forgive me on some shit that I DIDN'T DO. I thought everything was fine, I thought we were happy. Obviously I was the only one that thought that because one talk with his President sends him yelling at me and throwing shit."

"Wait. Back up. What do you mean by "one talk with his President"? What does Sonny have to do with any of this?" Tig thought back to the Sunday when Happy left. Sonny had been down right giddy when he saw Happy come out of the clubhouse with a bag in his hand. He remembered hearing Sonny tell Hap that he was doing the right thing but it didn't even register to Tig to think about what the fuck he had meant.

"I don't know, Tig. All I know is one minute he is kissing me and going in search of a drink. The next thing I know he's having a conversation with Sonny and then he's yelling at me." Marissa moved her plate out of her sight, no longer have an appetite.

"I think you should still call him."

"I'm not going to do that." Tig was getting frustrated.

"Why the fuck not? Is that damn pride of yours so strong that you would rather be miserable to avoid saving face? Is one fight really worth throwing away everything you two had? What could possibly stop you for fighting for that man?"

"Tig, I'm pregnant."


	22. Chapter 22

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Tig yelled causing everyone in the diner to look at the pair.

"You wanna lower your fucking voice? I don't need you broadcasting this shit." Tig shut his mouth but his eyes were darting around as he tried to piece together this new information.

"So that's why he left you? You told him you were pregnant and he fucking left you. That motherfucker." Tig grabbed his phone, intent on cursing his brother out when a slender hand plucked the phone from him.

"What the hell were you getting ready to just do?" Marissa asked as she threw his phone down in her purse.

"I'm getting ready to give him a piece of mind. I can't believe he left you pregnant and alone."

"He doesn't know, Tig."

"What the FUCK are you talking about?" Tig asked confused, causing Marissa to roll her eyes.

"I just found out last week. No one knows. Well, except for you now and I'm expecting you to keep your big mouth shut." Tig sat back stunned. He tried to form a sentence after opening and closing his mouth a few times.

"What are you going to do?"

"An abortion is out of the question. I may not be attending church every week but the little bit of Catholic still in me refuses to allow abortion be an option." Marissa looked down at the table.

"So if you are having the kid, how long did you think you were going to be able to keep it from everyone? We may not be the smartest bunch, but we would have noticed if you gave birth on the pool table." Marissa laughed slightly.

"I haven't really thought about it. I haven't really thought about anything to be honest."

"I have to tell Hap." Marissa looked up with wide eyes and started to shake her head. "He has the right to know Ris; you can't keep this shit from him."

"I will not have him resenting this baby the way he resents me. I'm an adult, I can take care of myself, but I couldn't' imagine a baby harboring that kind of pain. I know that I can't avoid telling him forever but I just can't imagine myself telling him now." Marissa grabbed Tig's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know that he is your brother and you feel like you have an obligation to tell him. But I also know that you love me. I need to believe that you love me enough to keep my secret, at least until I figure out what to do."

Tig looked at Marissa and cursed himself for being so attached to her. Those damn big hazel eyes were staring at him and he found himself caving.

"You have one month, do you hear me? One month to find a way to tell him or I will make the call myself." Marissa smiled as Tig placed a kiss on the back of her hand. He moved around the booth so that he could hold the woman in his arms.

"I can't wait to be dirty Uncle Tigger." Marissa laughed until her belly ached.

* * *

><p>Marissa groaned as she threw the Post It in the trash before turning on the computer. True to his word, Tig had yet to say anything to anyone about Marissa's impending motherhood. However, it didn't stop him from leaving little Post It notes everywhere for her to see. They all seemed to say the same thing.<p>

_Call him._

_Tell him._

_I'm not fucking playing Marissa._

Marissa looked down at her outfit which consisted of black leggings and a flowy black top. She had done her best to conceal her bump but she was heading into her second trimester and it was becoming harder and harder to find clothes that didn't arouse suspicion from everyone.

Marissa had made an effort to act like everything was fine in public. She had apologized to everyone for her behavior and stated to smile and laugh again. She even helped to plan Abel's first birthday party. Only Tig seemed to notice the sadness in her eyes every time Abel was in her arms. She still had yet to hear from Happy and everyone seemed to go out of their way to avoid mentioning his name.

Jax had spoken to the man a few more times and each time he sounded worse and worse. Hap had called Tig a few times but the older man had ignored all his calls. Hap thought it was because Tig was pissed at Happy for leaving but Tig knew that if he had answered his cell, he would blurt out something he shouldn't.

Marissa glanced down at the date on the right hand corner of her computer and sighed. She only had 9 more days to figure out what she was going to do before Tig would fulfill his promises of telling Happy himself.

She made general conversation with Gemma as the pair worked in the office. The garage was empty as the guys had a meeting with the Niners, so it allowed the pair to catch up on the latest gossip. They were laughing about Juice's latest antics and it felt like a normal, average day…Then the shit hit the fan.

"That's odd." Gemma remarked as Marissa had her head down. Thinking the woman was talking about a piece of paperwork, Marissa didn't bother lifting her head.

"What?"

"Don't see many of that kind around these parts." Marissa lifted her head to look at what Gemma was talking about. Looking out the window, Marissa's heart stopped in her chest. Standing in the parking lot was an older gentleman about 50-60 years old with graying hair. He had on an expensive three piece suit and had stepped out of a fancy town car. Marissa stood up so quickly that her chair smacked the wall. Without looking at Gemma, Marissa headed out the door.

"I'll go see what he wants." Marissa walked across the lot, trying desperately to stop the pounding of her heart from attacking her eardrum. She tried to walk calmly despite feeling as though her world was getting ready to end. She walked up to the gentleman who simply smiled down at her.

"Marissa." The man said his smile widening.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Marissa hissed.

"I decided to come and check up on you. No one has heard from you in years and then you withdraw three hundred thousand dollars and you didn't think I would have questions." Marissa sighed. She had almost forgotten about taking out that money to get the boys out of jail. When she hadn't heard from anyone from her past, she thought she had gotten away with it.

"I can't do this here with you. I'll be home around 5:30. You can come by then." Marissa looked back and saw Gemma standing by the window with a curious look on her face. "I'm assuming I don't have to give you the address."

The older man shook his head before opening his car door. "5:30 Marissa and don't keep me waiting." She watched as the man pulled away before she turned to head back towards the office. She walked inside and tried to ignore Gemma's questioning stare. She grabbed a cigarette and went to light it before remembering her situation. She tossed the unlit smoke back down.

"What was that about?"

"He was lost. Needed directions to get to Lodi." Marissa lied, hoping it sounded believable.

"You seemed spooked for it to just be a stranger looking for directions." Marissa looked over at Gemma.

"For a second, I thought he was someone I knew…but I was wrong. My own fault for not wearing my glasses." Marissa sighed when Gemma seemed to drop the subject, instead she started to talk about the latest Lyla and Opie problem.

* * *

><p>Marissa had been pacing her living room when she heard her door bell go off at 5:29. Marisa took a deep breath before opening the door. She watched as the man walked in her home and walked towards the living room without saying a word.<p>

"Hi Anthony. Please, why don't you come in my home?" Marissa said sarcastically before shutting the door.

"Nice little home you got here, even if you are slumming with trash."

"Don't you dare…."

"Don't I dare? DON'T I DARE? You took three hundred thousand dollars to bail out a bunch of lowlife bikers. You used my son's money so that you can be some biker's cum rag." Marissa felt her body shake with rage.

"That is MY money. Dante left that money for me. I don't need your permission to use it."

"The hell you don't. You are the reason why my son is dead and I will be damned if I sit back while you waste his money on bullshit. Marissa, don't you dare test me on this." Anthony stared at her with hatred in his eyes.

"I didn't kill Dante! He's dead because of YOU. He begged you to let him out of the business. We were going to leave Miami, start over just the two of us. But you couldn't allow that to happen could you? You just had to keep him close no matter what the cost."

"You didn't love my son. All you saw was money."

"Don't you DARE question the love I had for Dante. I loved him with every fiber of my being and he was ripped away from me. He stepped in front of a bullet for me. He bled out in my arms, Anthony. I held him as he took his last breath. Do you know how deeply that destroyed me? Do you know the guilt I feel everyday that I am able to live my life when Dante's wasn't give the same chance? You don't get to question my love for him. Not today, not tomorrow, not on your fucking birthday."

Marissa felt her blood pressure rise with every word. She knew that it wasn't a good idea to poke a caged animal but she was beyond pissed off. Anthony could say a lot of things about Marissa, but he could not say that she didn't love his son. She loved him with everything and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her otherwise.

"You say you loved him and this is how you repay him? Working in a dingy garage with a bullshit shack surrounded by low life criminals? You swore that you wouldn't touch that money. You claimed that it was never about the money, that you loved my son despite his millions. Yet you are willing to take that money that my DEAD son left for you to bail out your biker boyfriend. How is that respecting his memory?" Marissa felt the tears stream down her face but she was too upset to care.

"Dante loved me. He would have wanted me to be happy. The garage, this home, those bikers…they are all things that make me happy. He would have wanted me to move on with my life, even it was without him. Knowing that is the ONLY reason why I took that money." Marissa took a deep breath before leaning against the wall. She was officially exhausted.

"What do you want from me Anthony?" Marissa tiredly asked. "I can't pay you back. I don't have that kind of money lying around." She looked over as Anthony smiled before walking towards her. She stood up straight at the look in his eyes.

"Oh you will pay me back. You will pay me back for killing my son." Before she could blink, Anthony had her pinned to the wall by her throat. She looked around and cursed herself for leaving the gun in her purse.

"What are you talking about? I didn't kill Dante!" Anthony leaned down so he was eye level with Marissa.

"The bullet that killed my son was meant for you." Marissa's eyes went wide at the admission but before she could react, she felt her body being thrown to the right. She struggled to get herself together but Anthony was too quick as he grabbed her by the hair. The blow to her head dazed her and she held her stomach. She wanted to scream that she was pregnant. She wanted to beg Anthony to spare the life of her unborn child. Instead her world went black as she felt the compass necklace being ripped from throat. Before she lost consciousness, she had one final thought.

_I'm sorry Happy. I'm so sorry._


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: This has been the hardest chapter for me to write. I went through almost an entire bottle of wine. I want to say that things are going to get a lost worse before they get better. That's not to say the couple won't have a "Charming town" version of happily ever after but there are a lot of hurdles that need to be crossed first. I really hope you all stick around with me and enjoy the ride. Okay, I'm done babbling now._

* * *

><p>Chibs and Juice were headed back to the clubhouse from Jax's when they turned down Marissa's street. They slowed down and parked on the curb when they saw her door wide open. They got off their bikes and looked at one another. Marissa's car was parked in the driveway and all the lights in her home were on. They each grabbed a gun from their holster and walked in the front door.<p>

"What the hell?" Juice asked as he looked around the living room. It was completely destroyed. The furniture was turned upside down, the mirror was broken, and the pictures were smashed on the floor. Chibs looked to the right and gasped.

"Holy shit." Juice looked over and echoed Chibs's sentiment. There was blood on the dark grey carpet. They each started to search the house screaming Marissa's name. After checking her bedroom and finding it empty, Juice went to open the bathroom door. Once he did, he felt sick to his stomach.

"Marissa! Come on baby!" Juice dropped to his knees and grabbed Marissa's lifeless body in his arms. "Chibs! I found her, call a fucking ambulance." Chibs ran in the bathroom and stood stunned before he collected himself enough to be able to grab his cell phone. Juice tried to push back her matted blood filled hair and get a good look at her. Her clothes had been torn and her face was practically unrecognizable. There were marks up and down her arms. Juice tried to wipe off some of the blood from her face to no avail. Juice rocked her back and forth while muttering a prayer over and over again.

Chibs knelt down beside Juice as he tried to feel for a pulse. After a few moments, he let out a shaky breath.

"She has a pulse. It's barely there but there is one. Now…WHERE THE FUCK IS THE AMBULANCE?" Both men sat with Marissa until they heard the faint sounds of an ambulance down the street.

* * *

><p>Gemma, Clay, Jax and Tara ran through the front doors of the hospital. They ran past everyone before finding the waiting room door. Tara took one look at Juice's bloody shirt and somber expression and automatically feared the worst.<p>

"No, no, no, no." Tara started to shake. Juice quickly jumped up to reassure her.

"She's…she's not dead. They took her in right away. The doctors haven't told me anything."

"The blood?" Tara asked needing to know. Juice put his head down.

"It's hers." Tara looked around wildly before storming out of the room. Just before the doors could shut, Tig, Bobby, Opie, Lyla, Piney, and Kip ran in the room.

"What the hell happened?" Tig demanded to know. Juice couldn't form any words so he just sat down in a chair. Chibs knew he had to be the one to tell them.

"We saw her front door open so we went to check it out. Her living room was destroyed. Juicey-Boy found her in the bathroom…." Chibs trailed off.

"What? Juice found her and what?" Gemma begged.

"She was beaten, real bad. Baby girl barely had a pulse when she was brought in. There was a lot of blood." Gemma placed a hand over her mouth and Lyla started to cry.

"SHE' S MY GODDAMN SISTER AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW SHE IS DOING. I'M A DOCTOR IN THIS HOSPITAL AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW." Jax went out the room when he heard Tara yelling. He gathered her in his arms and started to usher her back to the waiting room.

"Tara, you have to calm down. I know you're worried, we all are, but beating up the staff isn't going to help. Let them do their job so that they can save Rissa." Jax sat Tara down in a chair and gathered her up in his arms. Her sobs were gut-wrenching and everyone stood in silence until she settled down.

"This is all my fault." Jax started to shake his head to disagree. "Yes, Jax it is. I am the reason why Stahl shut down her bar; I am the one that begged her to move to Charming, I am the one that encouraged her to get involved with a member of SAMCRO when I know first hand what could happen. This is my fault Jax." Tara started to cry silent tears as she held Jax's hand.

"Do you think this could be Jimmy" Piney asked knowing that they were still in the middle of a bunch of shit with IRA. Chibs shook his head.

"It wouldn't make sense. If Jimmy was going to use a woman to get a point across, he would use Gemma or Tara. I don't see him going after Rissa."

"Who's going to tell Happy?" Juice asked as he finally looked around at everyone. They had been so distracted that no one had thought to call Happy and inform him that Marissa had been attacked.

"Fuck him." Everyone turned wide eyes to Tara who spoke with venom in her voice. "He left her, why the hell should he know what is going on?"

"Because he cares about her Tara." Jax tried to reason with his girlfriend. "No one knows what happened between the two of them but we have to tell Hap what's going on."

"I'll do it." Gemma said while grabbing her phone. Clay grabbed her free hand offering her some silent support as she hit the call button. After a few rings, Happy's raspy voice flooded through the phone.

"Yeah?" Gemma swallowed before talking.

"Happy, it's Gemma." She heard him sigh angrily over the phone.

"Gemma, I don't want to talk about it." Happy said. He knew it was only a matter of time before Gemma called asking about why he left Charming and Marissa.

"This isn't about that. Happy…it's Marissa" Happy jerked up from his bed at hearing the strain in Gemma's voice.

"What happened to Marissa?"

"She was attacked, Happy. She…." Gemma handed the phone to Clay when she couldn't say anything else. Clay talked to Happy and let him know everything that they knew up into this point. He nodded his head when Happy said he was leaving right now. He hung up and pocketed the phone.

"He's on his way. Said he would be leaving now." Everyone took a seat lost in their own thoughts.

"Who would want to hurt Marissa?" Opie vocalized the question that was on everyone's mind. The sat silent for a few minutes before Gemma spoke up.

"There was a man."

"A man?" "What man?" Everyone exclaimed.

"Earlier today there was a man that came to TM. Marissa went outside to talk to him. She said that he was just looking for directions. I didn't think anything of it at the time." Gemma said, cursing herself for not asking Marissa more questions at the office.

"What did he look like, Ma?"

"Older guy. Maybe a few years older than me. Well built, three piece suit, fancy car. He certainly didn't look like he was from around here."

While Gemma was talking, Tara's mind was going a mile a minute. She was starting to piece together different things over the past few months and trying to figure out where it all went wrong. When she heard Gemma describe the man, she let out a gasp that caused everyone to turn and look at her.

"What?" Jax asked but Tara remained silent. "If you know anything, Tara, you need to tell us." Tara shook her head.

"I promised. She is my best friend and I promised her." Tig stood up angrily, not caring about the repercussion from Jax.

"She could die, do you understand that? Your best friend could DIE and you keeping her secrets won't mean shit!"

"Calm the fuck down Tig." Jax warned but the older man was not trying to listen.

"No I won't calm the fuck down. Someone attacked Marissa and Tara knows something. She needs to tell us." Tig knelt down in front of Tara and the anger vanished from his voice. "I love her like she is my own, Tara. I'm begging you. Please tell us what you know." Tara grabbed Tig's hand with her free one. Tig sat on the opposite side of Tara as she started to speak.

"I think Marissa was the anonymous person who bailed you guys out of jail a few months ago."

"How the hell did she get three hundred grand?" Bobby asked. Tara took a deep breath.

"I'm only going to tell this story once. Back when Rissa was a teenager and living in Miami, she started dating a guy named Dante Cerullo."

"From the mob family?" Everyone turned to look at Juice who simply shrugged. "I grew up in New York, mafia central."

"Yeah, Dante was mob. Marissa didn't know it in the beginning and by the time she found out, she was already in love with him. They were together for a few years and some shit started to happen. Marissa got nervous and she and Dante were going to leave Miami together. They had plans to travel the world, get married on a beach in the Dominican. The night before they were going to leave; something happened. Marissa said they were walking towards their car in the rain after leaving dinner. She heard loud pops and Dante pushed her to the ground. When the noise stopped, Marissa noticed the blood. Dante had been shot. He…..he died in her arms." Tara took the time to compose herself before continuing.

"After the funeral, Marissa found out that Dante had left her a large sum of money in his estate. She said that she never wanted the money. She swore that if she ever used it, it would be an extreme emergency. When I met her in Chicago, she was working three jobs to make ends meet in order to open her bar. The whole time she was sitting on a small fortune but she never touched it. She said that she wanted to open the bar on her own. She didn't want to depend on Dante's money in order to survive." Tara took in a shaky breath as she hoped revealing one of Marissa's secrets was the right thing to do.

"The old man?"

"Probably Dante's father. Marissa had said that he never liked her and was pissed when he found out that Dante had left her money. He had tried to find some sort of legal hole to make sure she never saw a dime but the document was iron clad. When we lived in Chicago, she once admitted that if she ever died it would probably be by Anthony's hands. She wanted to be prepared in case that every happened so she started doing some MMA training. She made sure to go to the shooting range once a week. She was constantly looking over her shoulder."

"So you're thinking that she took out the money to bail us out and the father came looking for her?" Clay asked and Tara nodded. "Well, why the hell would she risk that?"

"You guys got locked up right after Gemma was….she probably did it because she didn't want us to be unprotected. She probably thought that with you guys in jail, Zobelle could hurt one of us again." They all took a moment to process Tara's words.

"That would explain why the girl is so damn guarded." Gemma said remembering the conversation she had with Marissa in her dining room.

"She's been a fighter her whole life. She had to be. Her mom died in a car accident when she was 17 and that was the only family she had. She had to do some pretty shitty things in order to survive. Plus from some of the conversations we had, she wasn't just Dante's lover. She was also his partner in crime. I think she was more involved in the business than she lets on."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just little shit. Her knowledge of guns, her ability to break into almost everything, her ability to lie on the spot when asked. There have always been some characteristics that don't always add up if she was just his fiancée." They all looked up as a doctor walked in, his scrubs stained with blood.

"Marissa Ramriez's family?" The doctor was stunned when the entire room stood up.

"She is still in surgery. Her injuries are pretty extensive. She had multiple lacerations and abrasions on her body. 3 of her ribs have been broken as well as her right arm. From what I can tell, she has some defensive marks which proves that she tried to fight back. However, right now are biggest concern is her skull fracture. A few of her skull bones have broken into fragments. We are in the process of trying to repair the damage now but the surgery could take up to twelve hours."

"Is there any bleeding?" Tara asked.

"Some. It's not a significant amount of blood but it is cause for concern. That is why surgery is necessary immediately."

"THE BABY" Everyone turned to look at Tig's outburst but he simply ignored them. "How is the baby doing?" The doctor turned sad eyes towards Tig.

"I'm sorry sir, but the baby didn't make it. There was too much blunt force to her abdomen." The doctor told everyone that a nurse would come out every few hours to update them and then left.

Tig sat stunned as everyone looked at him waiting for answers. "She was pregnant. She hadn't told anyone, not even Happy. She just found out a few weeks ago. I told her that she had to tell Happy or I was going to. Shit, shit, shit." Tig felt the walls start to cave in on him as Gemma moved quickly to his side to hug him.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Happy walked in the waiting room to see everyone spread out in various spots in the room. He had pushed his bike to the limit in order to get to Saint Thomas as quickly as possible. He turned around when the door opened and Gemma stood standing with two cups of coffee in her hand. She motioned for him to follow her and they walked wordlessly down the hall until they made it to the chapel. They sat down on the pew and Gemma handed him a cup of coffee.<p>

"What happened?" Happy asked. Gemma spent the next twenty minutes explaining everything, including Tara's theory that the attack had been at the hands of Marissa's former lover's father. When she finished the story, Happy gripped the wood in front of him.

"How bad?"

"She's got some broken ribs and a broke arm. The doc said she's got a lot of bruising. She's still in surgery because the asshole fractured her skull." Gemma looked at her watch. "The surgery should be over in another hour or so." Happy nodded his head but refused to say anything.

"Michael." Happy looked up when Gemma used his real name which she had never done before. "There is something else. Marissa….Marissa was pregnant." Happy felt the wind being knocked out of him._ She was having my baby? She was having my baby and I fucking left her!_ Happy asked Gemma a silent question to which Gemma shook her head.

"The baby didn't make it. The doctor said there was too much damage. I'm so sorry."

"Did you know she was pregnant?"

"No. None of us knew….except for Tig." Happy's eyes blazed. He couldn't believe that Tig never told him.

"I should have never left her."

"Why did you leave her?" Gemma asked.

"I was talking to Sonny the night of my birthday party. He was concerned about how having Marissa in my life would effect my position in the club. He was making some good points, saying that I wouldn't be able to do my job if Marissa was constantly on my mind. I walked away and went in the room to calm down and Marissa came in. I was so fucking mean to her Gem. I told her that she was my whore and that she had no busy questioning me. I threw a bottle at the wall next to her and told her to get out. She…she looked so fucking scared." Happy looked forward at the cross hanging up.

"Oh baby….you…are such a fucking idiot." Gemma laughed slightly when Happy turned to glare at her. "That girl was not your weakness. She was your fucking strength. She gave you a purpose and a reason and that is never a bad thing. Sonny is a bitter bastard who didn't like the idea of you moving to Charming so he used Marissa and his friendship with you against you and it worked. You need Marissa in your life. You need someone to be able to go home to and regroup when shit with the club gets bad. That doesn't make you weak, it makes you stronger. Do you honestly think Clay could be President without me? Do you think he would be able to deal with all the shit going on if he didn't have a place to go to lay his burdens? That what us old ladies do. We are the backbone to you men and Marissa was damn good to you. You can do what you need to for the club and still be human Happy. Marissa made you human. Now you better pray that it's not too late to fix things."

They sat there until Gemma's cell phone rung. It was Clay saying the doctor was there.

* * *

><p>Gemma and Happy walked into the waiting room and Clay motioned for the doctor to speak.<p>

"The surgery was successful. We were able to stop the bleeding and fix the fractures. She is being prepped for recovery right now. We had to place her in a medical induced coma to minimize some of her physical pain. If all goes well, we should be able to try and wake her in a few days."

"Are we allowed to see her?" The doctor had been touched when he heard that not one person had left the waiting room since Marissa had been brought in and he wanted to help them as much as he could.

"Yes, I encourage for you to visit her. Studies have shown that hearing the voice of a loved one can help with the recovery process. However, I must insist that only one of you go in at a time. Also, I should warn you: the bruising on her face is extensive so you may be shocked by her appearance. Please keep that in mind before going in to see her. I will send a nurse down once Marissa is in her room." The doctor excused himself as hugs were being passed around.

"I'm going to head to the clubhouse." Happy stated, not feeling very comfortable with everything that was going on.

"The hell you will." Everyone sat stunned at the voice who had dared to step up to Happy. Happy turned around.

"What the hell did you say to me kid?" Juice stood up straight and glared at the older man.

"You are not going to the clubhouse until you have seen her." Juice pointed to his shirt. "Do you see this? This is HER blood on my shirt. I was the one that found her. I was the one that had to hold her barely living body in my hands. You have no fucking idea what that felt like because YOU LEFT HER. And I don't care that you here right now, it won't mean shit if you go back to the clubhouse to wait for an update instead of seeing her for yourself." Juice grabbed Happy's arm and placed something in his hand. "The only that matters is you. If she wakes up and you are not there, it just may kill her."

Happy looked down in his hand and saw that Juice had given him her compass necklace. Everyone stood as a tear made its way down Happy's cheek as he finally broke.


	24. Chapter 24

**Bobby**

Bobby sat in the chair, unsure of what to do. While he was very fond of the young Latina, he wasn't exceptionally close to her. The bruises on her face made him wince and he blinked back the emotions. One thing that Bobby hated was a man put his hands on a female. His dad used to beat his mom and he knew first hand the mental toll that it could take on someone. He gently grabbed her hand and did the only thing he knew how to do. He started to sing. Marissa wasn't a big Elvis fan but there was one song that she seemed to love and she chuckled anytime Bobby sang it to her:

_We're caught in a trap  
>I can't walk out<br>Because I love you too much baby_

_Why can't you see_  
><em>What you're doing to me<em>  
><em>When you don't believe a word I say?<em>

_We can't go on together_  
><em>With suspicious minds<em>  
><em>And we can't build our dreams<em>  
><em>On suspicious minds<em>

_So, if an old friend I know_  
><em>Drops by to say hello<em>  
><em>Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?<em>

_Here we go again_  
><em>Asking where I've been<em>  
><em>You can't see these tears are real<em>  
><em>I'm crying<em>

_We can't go on together_  
><em>With suspicious minds<em>  
><em>And we can't build our dreams<em>  
><em>On suspicious minds<em>

_Oh let our love survive_  
><em>Or dry the tears from your eyes<em>  
><em>Let's don't let a good thing die<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Piney<strong>

Piney sat in the chair, sober for the first time in months. He watched as the monitors beeped. Marissa had always been nothing but good to Piney since day one. She listened to his stories of yesteryear, when things were simple and pleasant. She would always make sure to give him personal attention when she was around him. That was something that meant the most to him. As an original member of SAMCRO, sometimes he would be passed over when it came to attention. But Marissa always made it a point to include Piney, whether it was asking about his day or just pouring him a drink, Marissa never forgot about the old man that preferred to sit in the corner of the bar with his tequila.

"Come back to us, princess."

* * *

><p><strong>Chibs<strong>

Chibs sat next to Marissa with a book in his lap. He, like many others, had grown fond of the young woman. She was the only one to be kind to Fiona when his wife had visited after his explosion. He knew that most of that had to do with the fact that Marissa didn't know Fiona, but the thought was still sweet. She used to drink tea with him in the morning and she made him laugh when discussing this Irish man she dated in high school who she was in love with him mainly because of his accent. When they would leave for runs, Marissa always kissed him on the cheek and told him not to let anyone take away his smile. It was an ode to the "joker" marks on the side of his face. Marissa said that she loved them, that they made him rugged and handsome. Chibs looked at the clock before opening the book, turning to his favorite Dylan Thomas poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."

_Do not go gentle into that good night,_

_Old age should burn and rave at close of day;_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

_Though wise men at their end know dark is right,_

_Because their words had forked no lightning they_

_Do not go gentle into that good night._

_Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright_

_Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

_Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,_

_And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,_

_Do not go gentle into that good night._

_Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight_

_Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

_And you, my father, there on the sad height,_

_Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray._

_Do not go gentle into that good night._

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light_

* * *

><p><strong>Opie<strong>

Opie played with his beard as he tried to find something to say. He wasn't good with this hospital shit. It reminded him too much of Donna. It took him to a place that he hated to be but he owed Marissa. The woman had saved his life and didn't even know it. She had embraced Lyla with open arms, despite her profession. Her acceptance of his girlfriend seemed to help when it came to the opinion of Gemma and Tara. Marissa had watched over his Pop when everyone just dismissed him as an old drunk. She had watched his kids more than once and she had saved his friendship with Tig. A few months ago, Opie had found Tig sitting by Donna's grave. Opie's immediate reaction was to be pissed but when he walked closer and saw the pain on Tig's face, he couldn't bring himself to be angry.

They had sat there for hours, not saying a word, just simply staring at Donna's name etched in stone. It was then that Tig had confided in Opie that Marissa had been the reason why he was there. Tig explained about his outburst in Marissa's kitchen and the advice she had given him. Opie didn't say anything, instead he just waited to see if Tig's actions would back up his words. When he saw Tig signing up to be a coach on Kenny's little league team, Opie finally forgave Tig.

He grabbed Marissa's hand and begged Donna to watch over his new friend. After all, he had assumed that Marissa had been the guardian angel that Donna sent down for him anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>Clay<strong>

Clay laid a vase down on Marissa's table. He didn't know what to say to the young woman. He was grateful for everything that she had done but once her saw her bruised face, he struggled with his words for the first time in years.

"Open your eyes baby girl. There are so many people that need you right now."

* * *

><p><strong>Juice<strong>

"You listen to me." Juice said as he sat next to Marissa's bed. "You really listen to me. I'm not stupid. I know what people think of me: a computer genius who is socially stupid. But you…you don't treat me like I'm a baby wearing an adult diaper. You listen to me and you play video games really well…even if you are a chick."

Juice sighed as he looked down at the bloody shirt that he had refused to take off. "You have to wake up. You can't let your bloody body be the last image I have of you." Juice cleared his throat as he reached into his back pocket for a piece of paper. "I don't know a lot of Spanish as you know but I wanted to do something special for you. This is the Prayer of Saint Francis. I remember you telling me that you loved it."

_Señor, hazme Instrumento de Tu paz.  
>Donde haya odio, siembre yo amor;<br>Donde haya injuria, perdón;  
>Donde haya duda, Fe;<br>Donde haya desaliento, esperanza;  
>Donde haya obscuridad, luz;<br>Y donde haya tristeza, alegría_.

* * *

><p><strong>Lyla<strong>

Lyla sat in the room and just cried. She cried for her friend who was lying in the hospital bed. She wanted to say some sweet words. She wanted to express her feelings but she couldn't….so instead, she just cried.

* * *

><p><strong>Jax<strong>

"I stole this from Tara's photo album." Jax said as he placed the picture on Marissa's table. It was of Jax, Tara, Marissa and Happy during one of their double dates at the local fair. Both women were holding the stuffed animals that they had won while the guys had their arms wrapped around their women's waist. Tara said she loved it because you could see a slight smile on Happy's face, which was rare. Jax sighed as he grabbed Marissa's hand.

"You are Tara's best friend, but you are also my little sister. I need you to come back baby girl. Who else is going to teach Tara to cook or dance around with Abel? Who else is going to stop me from going into that dark place or be my pool partner? I am so sorry that this happen to and I vow that we will find a way to make this right. But right now, sweetheart, I need you to come back to us. I don't think any of us can stand to lose you.'

* * *

><p><strong>Gemma<strong>

"God, you remind me so much of myself at your age." Gemma said as she sat next to Marissa's bed. "The fight in your eyes, the protectiveness for the people you care, the need to guard yourself at all costs, I was just like that and then I met JT. He was so fucking handsome, a great lay. I fell for him hard and didn't even realize it. JT gave me something that I didn't even know I was searching for. He gave me family. I don't just mean Jackson and Thomas, but SAMCRO. That club gave me more than any blood relatives could and now that club is your family. We are your family, Rissa. You are no where near done on this Earth darling, so you get all the rest you need and then you wake up getting ready to kick some ass." Gemma let out a heavy sigh as she looked at the picture Jax had left.

"He's here, you know. He rushed to the hospital to be here. That man loves you Marissa and he fucked up, but he knows it now. So you have to wake up to make him grovel and beg for your forgiveness because I can't wait to see that. This is the time that you back up all the attitude you have and fight. Do you hear me damn it? You fight you're way back to us."

* * *

><p><strong>Tara<strong>

"I remember the first time that you made me step in a ring. You told me that you wanted me to be able to protect myself. God, I had been so naïve. I had always had someone looking after me but you…you taught me that I had to stand on my own two feet. You offered me so much more than friendship and a room, you showed me how to be independent, how to be strong. I wouldn't have been able to leave Josh if it wasn't for you. I would have never made it back to Jax if you hadn't packed my bags and pushed me on that plane." Tara laid the stuffed animal in the bed with Marissa and started to cry.

"I'm so sorry that you are here. I'm so sorry for everything and I know that I sound selfish right now, but I can't lose you. I need you so much, Ris. I won't survive this life without you. Plus you have to wake up so I can yell at you for telling Tig that you were pregnant and not telling me. Abel has been looking for you. I know he can't speak but I can tell that. He needs his Titi Rissa. I guess I should tell that Happy is here. He showed up in the waiting room and Juice ripped him a new one." Tara laughed softly through her tears. "You would have been so proud of the kid. The way he stepped up to Happy was unlike anything we had ever seen before. It was beautiful." Tara looked out through the window at the two men who were left standing, waiting for their chance to talk to Marissa.

"I refuse to let this be the end, so I will tell you this. The second that you get out of the hospital, we are going to have an all out sleepover. Matching pajamas, games, movies, food, the works. I love you sister, I love you so much."

* * *

><p><strong>Tig<strong>

Tig paced the hospital room, afraid to sit down. "You are such a hardheaded pain in the ass, you know that? Why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you tell me what was going on with you? If you would have come to me, I would have done everything in my power to protect you. Pain in the ass." Tig paced some more before gripping the end of Marissa's bed.

"You gave me a second chance to be a dad. That sounds like a shitty thing because my two girls are alive and well. But you…you showed me that I am capable of being a good dad to them. In so many ways, you are more my daughter than Dawn and Fawn. I'm aware at how fucked up that sounds but its true." Tig sighed and cleared his throat to throwback his emotions.

"I'm sorry about the baby. I should have told Happy sooner, I should have forced you to tell him. Tara says it's not my fault, she says that sometimes it's just God's will. Who knew she was religious? I can't accept her reasoning until I hear it from you. So you have to wake up because I need you to forgive me."

* * *

><p><strong>Happy<strong>

Happy waited until everyone left before turning the knob to enter the hospital room. He held his breath when he finally took the time to look at her face. His beautiful woman was completely covered in bruises. Her head was wrapped up in gauze and she was hooked up to a ton of different monitors. Happy brushed back some of her hair and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

He pulled the chair up and sat down, grabbing her hand in the process. She looked so fragile, so broken laying there and Happy cursed himself for leaving her. He laid his head down on her bed to control his emotions. His mind was playing flashbacks of their life together. The kisses, the laughter, the play fighting in the kitchen, the love making. All of those moments seemed etched in his mind. Finally he thought back to the last time he saw her, the tears in her eyes, the terrified look on her face as she ran out of the room.

"I promise you: I will NEVER leave you again." Those were the only words Happy could say before he found himself falling asleep, holding her hand the entire time.

* * *

><p><em>AN: This is the English translation to Juice's prayer:_

_Lord, make an instrument of your peace._  
><em>When there is hatred, let me sow love;<em>  
><em>Where there is injury, pardon;<em>  
><em>Where there is doubt, faith;<em>  
><em>Where there is despair, hope;<em>  
><em>Where there is darkness, light;<em>  
><em>And where there is sadness, joy.<em>


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: Hey everyone. I'm sorry for the lack of updates but with the holidays coming up, I have had to start getting ready. This chapter is a LOT shorter than my others but I think that it gets my point across. The next few chapters I already have outlined and I hope to get them posted now that I have the rest of the week off to relax. Thanks for hanging in there with me._

* * *

><p><em>The first thing Marissa noticed was the sand in between her toes. She looked to her left and her right and all she saw was miles and miles of beaches. She looked down and noticed that she had on a red maxi dress and her curly hair was now bone straight. She stood still, allowing her hair to blow in the breeze and try to figure out what was going on. The last thing she remembered was fighting with Anthony in the living room of her home. In a motion of panic, she quickly grabbed her stomach and realized that it was flat as a board. Knowing what that meant, Marissa slid down until she was sitting on the sand. It took a few moments until she felt a presence sit next to her. When she looked to her right, she gasped loudly.<em>

"_Oh my God, I'm dead." Those were the first lines to come out of Marissa's mouth. It had to be the only logical explanation for the man sitting next to her._

"_Do you want to be?" Dante asked as he smiled at his former love. Marissa took the time to notice that he hadn't aged a day in seven years. His black hair still fell over his deep brown eyes. When he smiled, she could see the dimples that she swore she could swim in. He sat next to her all tanned in a white button shirt and linen pants. He was everything that she had fallen in love with as a teenager. Marissa slowly reached out her hand and laid it on his cheek._

"_What the hell is going on, Dante?" Dante simply leaned into her cheek before pulling her up, grabbing her hand and walking down the beach together._

"_I've been watching you, every day since I had to leave you." Marissa couldn't help but wince as she thought back to some of the things he must have seen over the years. Dante seemed to notice her discomfort and laughed._

"_Should I even bother to try and justify some of my choices?"_

"_Trust me, Rissa, not all of it was pleasant. I was so proud of you when you opened that bar. I knew you could do it baby. You always had more ambition than anyone I ever met."_

"_And you couldn't have pulled some strings from wherever you are to allow me to keep the bar?" Marissa still had no idea what was going on, but she felt a strange sense of calm so she decided to just go with it. _

"_It wasn't your destiny."_

"_You been hitting the pipe or something? Are you trying to tell me that my destiny was to die in some one-horse town by the hands of your fucking father?" Marissa used her free hand to rub her forehead. None of this made any sense and she just wanted some answers. Answers that Dante seemed to not want to give her. _

"_You are not dead Marissa." Marissa looked up with wide eyes._

"_Then what the hell is this? Am I going crazy? I don't handle being confused very well Dante."_

"_I almost forgot how impatient you always were. We need to talk about a few things before you go back Marissa." Dante stopped walking and turned Marissa to him so that she could look at him directly. He knew before hand that this was not going to be an easy task. She was as stubborn as they come. _

"_You love him more than me." Marissa automatically started to shake her head to disagree. _

"_No I don't. I could never love anyone the way that I love you."_

"_You don't love him the way you love me. You love him MORE and that is okay Marissa. I want you to stop feeling guilty for falling in love with another man. It's been seven years Rissa, loving him doesn't mean that I will ever leave your heart. It just means that there is room for the both of us."_

"_He left me."_

"_He's more like you than you will ever know. He left you because he's scared that you are going to wake up one day and leave him. He thinks that he is protecting you and keeping you safe by leaving." Dante pushed a strand of Marissa's hair behind her ear. "I have been waiting for someone like him to come into your life so that you can finally be happy and move on."_

"_I don't want to move on. I want you. That's all I ever wanted." Marissa felt herself getting ready to cry. "We can finally be together, Dante. Stop shaking your head at me!"_

"_If you stay here before your time, do you know how devastated everyone will be? Gemma, Tara, Tig, Happy, Juice…all of them. They need you Marissa and you need them. You have to go back and you have to stop punishing yourself for what happened to me." The tears fell down Marissa's face as she started to scream._

"_NO! What about me? What about what I want?"_

"_Let him in Marissa. Start a family, love often, and smile more because no one deserves it more than you, angel. I won't be far, I will always be watching you but you can not stay here." Dante kissed her forehead as Marissa continued to cry._

"_He's your forever. Don't ruin it by being stubborn and hardheaded. If you love me than you will grant me this final wish. Please Marissa; I can't stand to watch you spend the rest of your life alone."_

* * *

><p>There was an incessant beeping that Marissa couldn't seem to turn off. She went to lift up her left arm and realized that she couldn't. She opened her eyes and immediately wanted to close them again.<p>

_"I'm alive."_ Marissa thought to herself. _"Damn you Dante! Damn you to hell!"_

She turned her head to the side and saw the reason why she couldn't move her arm. Happy was sitting in the chair next to her; sleep with a tight grip on her hand. She should have been glad to be alive. She should have been ecstatic to see that he was still there. Instead all she could think about was the fact that she was still alive.

And that pissed her off.


	26. Chapter 26

**Tara and Lyla**

"Is this absolutely necessary?" Marissa groaned as both women simply ignored her. It had been three weeks since she woke up and the doctors were very optimistic in regards to her recovery. Her skull fractures were healing in good time and she was told that if all goes well, she would be released in a few days. The bruises on her face were still painful but were slowly turning into a yellowish purple shade. She had been visited by a Neo-Natal specialist who had told her there was no significant damage done and she should be able to carry a baby to full term when she was ready.

Marissa's room was never quiet. Every day she was visited by all of her friends, who were doing their best to keep her hospital stay as comfortable as they could. She had an emotional reunion with Tig who had broken down once she was able to talk. Marissa had to constantly tell Tig that what happened to her was not his fault. The look on his face made Marissa feel so guilty. She told him that no one could have predicted the turn of events and they just had to find a way to move on. Tig was shocked at the lack of emotions that Marissa was showing. In the three weeks since she had been awake, she had yet to cry. Gemma said she was probably still in shock and everyone needed to keep a close eye on her because she would break one day and it wasn't going to be pretty.

No matter who came to visit her during the day, she always had one visitor at night: Happy. He would come in the room during all hours of the night when he thought she was asleep and just sit by her bed. They had yet to speak to each other and Marissa wasn't even sure what she wanted to say. She was angry, livid with him but she figured once she was released from the hospital, he would go back to Tacoma and Marissa could get back to her life.

"Stop moving." Tara interrupted Marissa's thoughts. She was currently lying in her hospital bed as Tara and Lyla both were painting her toe nails. The three ladies sat in a comfortable silence as Marissa stared blankly at the wall. She was thankful that no one had asked her any questions but Marissa knew it was only a matter of time. She looked up as Tara tugged on her big toe.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I said all done. What is with you today? Is everything alright?" Marissa nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, it must be the meds. They have been making me a little loopy." She tried to pay attention as Lyla told the girls that Opie had asked her to move in.

"It just feels a little weird that I would be living in HER house. Everything about that home is about Donna and I don't know how to explain that to Opie. We can't move in my place because it is way too small for three kids."

"Why not start over?" Tara asked. "Start looking around for a new home. Put Opie and your house up for sale and start from the beginning."

"Just talk to him, Lyla." Marissa offered. "I'm sure he doesn't understand your apprehension so you have to let him know. He will understand and you guys can move on from there." Lyla nodded and shared a glance with Tara.

"Um…have you talked to Happy yet?" Marissa immediately tensed at the mention of his name and shook her head.

"No, but can you guys do me a favor? Can you tell him to stop coming into my room and staring at me in the middle of the night? It's creepy and makes me feel as though he hasn't been fed in a while."

"He's worried about you, Rissa." Marissa snorted.

"Then why doesn't he come around during the day? Why does he wait until I'm sleep so he doesn't have to talk to me?"

"You are not the only one that lost something." Marissa turned sharp eyes to Tara.

"Don't go there, Tara." Marissa tried to warn but Tara was done skating around the issue.

"No Marissa I'm sick of this shit. You lost a baby and I can't even begin to imagine what you must be feeling. My heart literally bleeds for you, but that was Hap's baby too. A baby that he didn't even know about because you refused to tell him and maybe your choices were justified to you at the time but that doesn't change what happened. It doesn't change the fact that Happy flew down here to be with you when you were attacked just to find out that a baby he didn't even know existed was DEAD, Marissa. I am so sorry about everything that has happened to you but you are not the only one grieving."

"Don't give me that shit, Tara. He didn't know about the baby because he left me. Do you understand that? HE left ME. There was no warning, no dragged out fight; he just packed his shit and left." Marissa took a deep breath and glared. "Maybe that's why you have so much fucking sympathy for Happy huh, Tara? I mean, after all it is exactly what you did to Jax. There was no warning, no fight; you just hopped on a plane one day." Normally Marissa would never be so rude to her best friend, but Tara was pushing buttons that was starting to piss Marissa off.

"You're right. Maybe I do understand Happy because I left Jax and it tortured me for 11 years. Happy is here Marissa. Every night he is here for you, so will you stop playing bad, bitter bitch and just let him in? You are never going to get healed if you don't let someone in Marissa."

"So Happy is the one who is going to fix me? He is the one that's going to heal all the shit that is going on with me. Get fucking real. He may be here, but for how fucking long? Here's a bright idea Tara: let me let down my guard and lean on his shoulder. That way when I'm nice and vulnerable, he can REALLY fuck me over when he leaves again."

"So he doesn't deserve a chance to make things right? Regardless of the situation, he doesn't get a second chance? He fucks up one time and you are just going to write him off completely?"

"Why are you being so fucking pushy about this Tara?" Tara looked at her best friend and was more than a little pissed. God, she forgot how fucking stubborn Marissa could be.

"I'm trying to fix something Rissa. I made you lose the bar; I made you move to Charming. I just need…I'm trying to make something right." When Tara stormed out of the room, Marissa realized that she wasn't the only one flooded with guilt.

* * *

><p>"Do you love her?" Happy looked up from the table where he was sitting with Jax and Opie.<p>

"Tara, I don't think you can ask him that." Jax started but Tara put her hand up.

"I don't give a shit right now Jax. I'm talking to Happy. Do you love Marissa?"

"Where is this coming from?" Happy asked as he leaned back.

"You left her. You left her for 2 months and that is not something that I'm trying to ignore, but in my mind the fact that you are here speaks volumes. She says that you haven't talked to her, that you only come in her room late at night because you think that she is sleep."

"I just want to make sure that she is alright. I don't think she really is in the mood to talk to me right now." Happy answered, trying to be as honest as possible without giving too much away.

"She is far from alright. Marissa has always had a hold over her feelings…but the way she is in the hospital, she is completely fucking detached. She is just breathing skin; do you know how hard it is for me to watch her right now? You need to make this right, Happy!"

"This is not my fault! Yeah, I left her. I left her because I thought that it was right at the time. But I had no idea that she had a mob ties and a pissed off old man looking to come after her. Do you wanna know why? Because she never fucking told me. How in the hell could I possibly have predicted this shit?" Tara stumbled back slightly before gaining her composure. She had never heard the man yell before and hearing it for the first time was kinda scary.

"Is she just your obligation? Are you checking on her to appease your guilt for leaving? Because if that is all you are doing, then you need to leave her the hell alone. But if she was just an obligation, then you would not have rushed to be patched into SAMCRO, which I'm sure she doesn't even know about." Tara took a deep breath to collect her feelings.

"What do you want me to say Tara? What is that you want me to do?"

"I want you to fight for her and just so there is no confusion: fighting for Rissa normally means fighting with her. You have to prove to her that you are not going anywhere and it's going to be hard, but if you love her the way I think you do, it will be worth it in the end." Tara placed a kiss on Happy's cheek before leaving the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Tig and Juice<strong>

The three sat in the Marissa's hospital room, laughing their asses off. Juice was sitting in the chair, while Tig was lying down in the bed with Marissa, stroking her hair.

"If you tell anyone I was laughing, me and you are going to have some serious problems Hurricane." Tig warned.

"How can you not laugh? They are babies that talk." The three of them were currently in the middle of a Rugrats marathon. Tig was convinced that he was the world's biggest pussy when it came to Marissa because he would succumb to anything just to make her laugh.

"What did the doctors say?" Juice asked during a commercial.

"If all the tests come back okay, I should be released tomorrow." Both men cheered loudly. Tig kissed Marissa on the cheek.

"Don't get too excited. I still have this damn cast on my arm for another couple of weeks and it will be awhile before I'm able to look at myself in the mirror and not wince but at least I get to be home. Believe it or not, I've actually missed the garage more than anything. I can't wait until Mother Hen allows me to go back to work."

"Once you get that cast removed, we can play the new Call of Duty and don't think I'm going to go easy on you." Juice said as he squeezed her knee. Marissa loved these visits the most. She knew that Juice and Tig had went through hell when she was in her coma but they never failed to treat her like they were all just sitting around in her living room. Tig's cell phone and he reached in his pocket to answer. When he hung up, he gave Juice a look.

"Duty calls. Time to go." Marissa accepted a kiss from both Juice and Tig. When Juice walked out of the room, Tig leaned down and grabbed her head in his hands.

"You are still one of the most beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on and don't you ever forget that."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Marissa walked out of the hospital bathroom dressed in a pair of sweats and a zip up tank top. She was finally being released and she couldn't be happier at the idea of being able to sleep in her own bed. She was using one hand to try and tie a knot in her pants since she had lost so much weight, that she almost missed the man sitting in the chair. When she finally looked up, she was shocked but she instantly forced her defense to go up.<p>

"What the hell are you doing here?" Happy stood up and grabbed her overnight bag.

"I'm here to take you home." Marissa put her arm up.

"I'm hardly in the position to be sitting on the back of your bike." Happy rolled his eyes.

"I can drive a car you know. I got Gemma's cage, so let's go. The doctor came and said all your paperwork is done."

"I would rather someone else take me home." Marissa said.

"Well I'm the one standing here so let's go. I'm sure you don't wanna be in this fucking place anymore." Marissa glared.

"Happy, I don't want get in a car with you. I don't even want to be talking to you right now so you can you please back the fuck off?" Happy opened his mouth to yell back but Tara's words the other day seemed to be ringing in his head. Instead of putting her over his shoulders, he tried a different approach.

"Look…I fucked up and I know that so for that reason and that reason ONLY, I will allow you to be a bitch to me all you want…but you will get in that car with me and I am taking you home. So stop being so fucking stubborn and let's go." Marissa glared so hard she was sure her face was a deep red. She stood still for a few moments before finally walking out. Happy grabbed her bag and sighed deeply.

_This is going to be a long fucking couple of weeks._


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N: Three chapters in one day to make up for the three days I went without updates. I hope you all enjoy and haven't left me and this story._

_I got a great idea for another Happy-centric story, but I want to finish this one first and I believe that this one is going to have sequel, so we shall see._

* * *

><p>Marissa woke up from her bed, intent on getting ready to start the routine that she had been having for the past six days. When she had walked in her house with Happy after being released from the hospital, she was expecting to walk into hell. Instead, everything was spotless. There was a new carpet placed down and all of her pictures and various items were restored to their previous ways. She figured that it was the work of Gemma. Marissa stretched her good arm over her head and stumbled towards the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.<p>

When she walked into the living room, she felt a mixture of disappointment and anger at seeing it bare. For the past six days, Happy had slept on the couch. He never said anything to her and she was content with being silent as well. However, no matter how much of the silent treatment she was giving him, she always managed to wake up to see him on the couch. She sighed deeply before heading in the kitchen. She noticed the bag on the counter before seeing the bald headed man sipping a cup of coffee.

"I went to Charlie's One Stop Deli for breakfast. You can have someone….if you sit at the table and eat with me." Marissa glared and grabbed an apple out of the fridge.

"I'd rather eat deer shit." She responded before walking back towards her bedroom, making sure to slam her door in the process. Happy smiled to himself. At least she said something. That had to be progress.

* * *

><p>"He doesn't say anything to you about what happened?" Marissa shook her head and Gemma whistled. "He was always the quiet one, but that's down right strange."<p>

"It's creepy is what it is. He tells me when he's leaving to go to work or a run. He damn near pushed my door down to tell that there was a fire in my kitchen from him trying to cook. He keeps buying take-out and only offering me some if I will sit with him. But other than that? Nothing." Marissa answered as the pair sat down in the waiting room. Marissa was finally getting her arm cast off and not a moment to soon in her opinion. The bruises were almost healed and she had been able to disguise a lot of the damage with foundation.

"And he sleeps on the couch every night?" Gemma asked, making sure she had all of the facts.

"Yup. About that…why hasn't he gone back to Tacoma yet?"

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Happy is SAMCRO now. He was fully patched in while you were in the hospital. Charming is now his home." Gemma made sure to emphasis the word home. Before Gemma could ask another question, they were interrupted by a conversation next to them.

"Oh my goodness. You look so beautiful. How far along are you?"

"Almost five months." Marissa glanced over to see two women talking and one holding her protruding stomach. Marissa took a deep breath as she felt the walls start to cave in around her. She could barely register Gemma's hand on her shoulder. When the doctor called her name, Marissa practically ran out of the room.

* * *

><p>"What are you guys doing here?" Marissa asked when she walked in the living room. Sitting there was Gemma, Clay, Tara, Jax, Lyla, Opie, Piney, Bobby, Tig, Juice, and Happy. There were talking when she had walked in but seeing her caused everyone to shut up. Chibs came in the front door and offered everyone a smile before taking a seat.<p>

"Sit down, baby girl." Marissa looked warily at Clay but took a seat next to Tig who quickly grabbed her hand.

"What's up?"

"We need to talk about what happened to you." Marissa took in a sharp breath but didn't say anything. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're family. When something like this happens to one of our own, certain measures need to be taken. Retaliation is necessary but in order to do that, we need your help. You have to tell us about Anthony. Juice was able to pull up his records, but we are going to need more."

"You need to drop this." Marissa stated as she struggled to pull her hand out of Tig's grasp.

"We can't do that, Hurricane."

"Yes you can and you will." Marissa turned her attention to Tara. "What did you tell them?"

"I just told them about Dante and how you always said Anthony would be the one to kill you."

"Oh, that's just great. Real fucking great. Thanks Tara."

"Hey, don't get mad at Tara." Jax defended. "She had to tell us what happened. If she didn't we would have turned this whole state upside down figuring out who hurt you." Marissa couldn't help it, she started to laugh. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy before she started to calm down.

"You can't fix this. None of you can fix this. You have no idea what war you are trying to start."

"You once told me that as long as your past didn't affect the present or this club, then I was supposed to back off." Gemma said.

"What happened to me was not about the club. Anthony doesn't give a shit about your guns and what ever the hell else it is that you do. This does not affect the club. This is personal; it's about me and me only."

"You took three hundred grand to bail us out of jail. This asshole would not have come looking for you if it wasn't for that. That makes it about the club." Bobby reasoned.

"That was MY choice and I knew the possible consequences when I made the call. What are you going to do, huh? You are going to roll up on your bikes and put a couple of bullets in his head?"

"If that's what it takes." Tig roared.

"IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT." Marissa screamed. "You don't know what you are up against. Anthony is a different kind of dangerous. A kind of dangerous that goes way beyond anything that you all of dealt with before, so just drop it."

"Drop it? You expect us to just drop it? How the hell do you suppose we do that?" Juice asked.

"By moving on. I'm not dead okay? He did not succeed in killing me, so just let it go."

"What happens when he comes back to look for you? What happens when he comes to finish the job that he started? How the hell can you be so calm about this?" Tara wondered out loud.

"Don't be so dramatic, Tara. The chances of that happening are slim to none."

"But there is still a chance." Marissa turned towards Happy and was deathly calm.

"You don't get a vote." Her tone struck a nerve with Happy and he stood up as he started to scream.

"He killed my baby. That baby was mine so don't you dare sit here and say I don't get a vote. I have been putting up with a lot of your shit lately, Marissa but if you think for one minute that I am going to stand by and let the fucker who killed my baby and put you in the hospital live, then you are sadly fucking mistaken." Marissa finally pulled her hand from Tig's grasp and stood up.

"Oh will you stop the concerned bullshit act? Where was all this concern when you were calling me your whore and throwing shit at me? Were you giving a damn about me when you were up in Tacoma getting blowjobs from bitches? Or how about how you managed to pick up the phone and talk to everyone but me? Where was your fucking concern then?"

"I thought about you every fucking day I was gone Marissa. Don't imply that you were not the center of my world." Everyone was watching the two fight in awe and slightly stunned at Happy's statement.

"Get fucked, Hap. I was the center of your world and all it took was for me to get beaten to holy hell for you to come back. That's real nice."

"I didn't want you to get hurt."

"That's bullshit. Complete and total bullshit. I knew what I was getting into when I got involved with you and I never once waivered my loyalty to you. You weren't concerned about me getting hurt. Everything was fine until your President started filling you head with shit and you fell for it. Or maybe you didn't fall for it. Maybe Sonny just offered you the out that you already wanted." The veins in Happy's neck started to twitch.

"What the FUCK was that supposed to mean?"

"It was real easy for you to leave me. Too easy. Maybe it's what you wanted all along. You can stand here and claim to care until you're blue in the face. You can have everyone here believe you bullshit excuses and justification. You can even start to believe your own lies but it's not going to work on me. I work on statistics and facts and the bottom line is you left me. You CHOSE a life without me so you don't get to sit here and act all butt hurt about what happened to me."

"I'm trying to make things right."

"No one asked you to. When I met you, I thought that I had met the man that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I was finally done with all the boys and the bars because you were here."

"Don't give me that shit. You were just using me as a substitute for your dead ex." He should have anticipated the slap but it didn't stop the sting when it actually connected.

"Don't you ever speak of him to me. This is not about Dante or even Anthony. This is about me and you. How the fuck do you plan on fixing what you broke? Do you know how deeply you cut me? I would rather take a million blows to the face by Anthony than feel an ounce of what I did while you were gone!" Happy was taken back by what Marissa was saying but he was going to stand his ground. She was finally starting to show emotions and he knew that he couldn't walk away now. Even if they did have an audience.

"Just because I left it doesn't mean that I don't still care about you. It doesn't mean that seeing you broken didn't bother me. Marissa, it didn't mean that I don't lo…" Marissa jumped up on her coffee table and pointed a finger towards his face.

"Don't you dare even think about saying what I think you are going to say. You didn't say it while we were together so you better not fucking say it now." Marissa felt the wetness on her cheeks. She furiously tried to wipe them away. "I don't wanna hear explanations. I don't fucking care why you left. All I know is that every day I woke up and you weren't here? That's another day that I had to force myself to get out of bed, to put a real effort into actually leaving this house. My life without you had turn into a motherfucking joke with no punch line." Marissa's chest heaved up and down. She nearly collapsed on the coffee table from exhaustion. The room was silent for a few moments before Happy started to talk. When he did, the emotions coming out of his voice made everyone in the room damn near teary-eyed.

"It hurts. More than all the injuries I ever got, even more than finding out about my Ma getting sick. Leaving you hurt me like hell, Rissa. I fought every mile to get Tacoma. I fought to not turn around, go back to you and beg for you to forgive me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you the way you looked the night of my birthday. I may have left you, but I thought about you every second of every day. I always missed you."

Marissa's crying had stopped but she still refused to look up. Happy put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm done apologizing about leaving you. I have apologized hundreds of times and I'm done because you know that I mean it when I say I'm sorry. You know that I mean it and you don't want to accept my apology because it would mean that you actually care about me. You use your anger as a fucking armor and you use my leaving as a way to hold on to that anger and you can't do that, not anymore. Not when I have fucking been here everyday since you went in the hospital." Happy looked down at Marissa who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face. When she stood up, she addressed everyone but Happy.

"I can't stop you all from going after Anthony…..but I can't be the one to help you." Marissa walked back towards her bedroom, leaving everyone in the room stunned beyond belief at what they had just witnessed.

"That went well." Gemma's sarcastic statement caused everyone to look at her in disbelief.


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: We are approaching the end of Nobody's Fool. I see this story only having about two more chapters left. Afterwards, I have to decide to start the sequel or the new story I have been outlining. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you guys want. _

* * *

><p>3 days later, Marissa hesitated as she walked into Saint Mary's church. She had refused to come out of her room after the "intervention", but she was starting to become plagued with nightmares so decided to venture out into society. She adjusted the mantilla on her head as she smoothed down her black knee length dress. She walked into the front of the chapel and was thankful that it was empty. She grabbed the lighter and lit four candles. She slowly placed herself on her knees as she started to pray for sanity because she swore that she was starting to lose her mind. Once she finished praying, she sat down on a nearby pew with her hands on her lap. She couldn't explain it, but for some reason she started to remember the lyrics to a Brooks and Dunn song.<p>

_I raise my hands, bow my head_  
><em>I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red<em>  
><em>They tell me that there's more to life than just what I can see<em>  
><em>I can't quote the book<em>  
><em>The chapter or the verse<em>  
><em>You can't tell me it all ends<em>  
><em>In a slow ride in a hearse<em>  
><em>You know I'm more and more convinced<em>  
><em>The longer that I live<em>  
><em>Yeah, this can't be<em>  
><em>No, this can't be all there is<em>

"Are you alright, darling?" Marissa jumped startled as an older man sat down next to her.

"I'm just thinking. I didn't mean to disturb anyone." The older man shook his head.

"I had a meeting downstairs in the basement and I saw you." When Marissa looked questioningly at Wayne, he clarified. "I got cancer so I go to these support classes."

"Do they help?"

"A little. It's nice to have folks around that are like me, you know? I heard about what happened to you. I'm terribly sorry."

"Jesus Christ, how fast does news travel in this fucking town?" Marissa looked at the painting of Jesus on the cross and mouthed an apology for her language in church.

"Gemma's a good friend of mine. I've know the girl since she was a teenager. She had been worried about you." Wayne offered. "Is there anything the Charming police can do to help?" Marissa shook her head.

"Nah, this is a little out of your jurisdiction Chief, but thanks for the offer." The pair sat in silence for a few moments.

"You know they have all different types of support groups. I could find you some pamphlets if you're interested."

"I'm not."

"They may be able to help you." Marissa scoffed.

"I have no intentions of sharing my life story with a bunch of strangers who have no idea what I have survived."

"You have to talk to someone." Marissa pointed to the candles burning.

"I'm talking to God."

"Do you think it works? Do you believe in the power of prayer?" Marissa sighed heavily.

"I have to. I have to believe in something, anything at this point. So I figured that this was a real fine place to start." Wayne nodded his head and handed her a card.

"Just in case you change your mind." Marissa looked at the card for about twenty minutes before she slipped it in her purse and walking out the church. She knew what she had to do and no support system was going to be able to save her.

* * *

><p>"I'm ready to come back to work." Gemma looked up over her black-rimmed glasses as Marissa stood there in front of her.<p>

"No you're not." Marissa groaned before sitting down in a nearby chair.

"Jesus Gemma, it's not brain surgery. All I have to do is answer the phone and file shit. The cast is off and I'm all but healed."

"Have you talked to Happy yet?"

"No."

"Then you are not ready to come back to work." Gemma replied while standing up to head to the file cabinet.

"What are you, my fucking shrink?"

"No but I am your friend and as your friend I am telling you that you need to take care of home first. You have to deal with your own shit, the right way. I will not allow you to bury yourself in paperwork as a way to avoid what is really going on." Marissa rolled her eyes.

"What about my bills? If I don't pay my bills, then I will be homeless and I can't touch the money Dante left me cause we both know how well that worked out last time." Marissa stated, trying to use the final plea to get Gemma to let her return to work. However, that didn't seem to be working for Gemma. She simply reached in the top drawer and grabbed an envelope. She placed the envelope on the desk.

"What the hell is this?"

"Consider it the Teller-Morrow version of FMLA. It's a check that will cover all your bills for awhile. So stop trying to find excuses and go deal with your shit."

* * *

><p>"Why don't you hate me?" Happy looked up as he was putting the blanket on the couch. It was well after two in the morning and Happy had sworn Marissa was sleep when he checked in on her. Obviously he was wrong, because she was now standing in front of her wearing a pair of boy shorts and tank top, her arms crossed over her chest.<p>

"Hate you for what?" Marissa refused to take a step closer.

"For killing your baby. Why don't you hate me?"

"You didn't kill our baby Marissa. You were attacked, it's not like your ran to the clinic to abort it."

"I didn't tell you." Marissa stated and Happy nodded.

"No you didn't and a part of me wants to choke the shit out of you for that, but I guess I can't be too mad. I didn't exactly give you a reason to believe I wouldn't have bailed on the kid." Marissa unfolded her arms but remained where she was standing.

"What would you have done if I told you? Would you have stocked up on baby books and buy a baby seat to fit the back of your bike?" Happy thought for a moment before replying.

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't know what I would have done if you told me. I never thought about having kids, always figured my life wasn't cut out for a family. I would have wanted to be there….but I'm not sure if I would have been able to do."

"Well I guess everything worked out for the best." Happy glared slightly.

"It does not mean that I'm happy that the baby is gone. I don't know what I would have done, but it doesn't mean that the loss doesn't affect me." Happy and Marissa stood glaring at each other before Marissa finally shut her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.

"What do you need me to do, Marissa? How do I make things right?"

"I…I don't know Happy. I don't know if you can make things right." Marissa voice seemed to falter and Happy slowly walked towards her. Happy reached a hand up to stroke her cheek but stopped midway in case she would push him away. She kept her eyes to the floor as she whispered her next statement.

"I miss you Hap. I miss you so much." Happy sucked in a breath as he threw caution to the wind and placed his hands on her arms, giving them the first real contact between them in months.

"I'm right here Rissa. I am not going anywhere." Happy spoke with convection. "I know that I fucked up and I don't ever want that to happen again. We will find a way to work through this." Marissa finally looked up to meet his eyes. She took a moment to get lost in the color of dark onyx before placing a hand on his cheek.

"I…I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else in my life and that love almost destroyed me. I want to let you in…I want to trust you again but I don't know how. I know that I am being difficult but I just don't know what to do. I've learned that I can live without you because I didn't have a choice. But I don't want to. I don't want to be forced to survive a life that doesn't include you." Marissa was shocked at herself for her honesty. She didn't know what had possessed her to come out into the living room and she certainly didn't know why she couldn't seem to shut her mouth.

"You have to give me a chance. You have to let me prove to you that I mean it when I say I'm not going anywhere. All I'm asking for is a little opening; just give me a little gesture that you are willing to let me in Marissa." Marissa leaned into Happy's embrace and allowed him to wrap his arms around her tiny body. They stood there for what seemed like hours before Marissa pulled away. She kissed Happy's cheek and softly smiled at him.

"Good night, Hap."

* * *

><p>"I think Marissa is up to something." Tara stated while sitting in the living room with Jax, Gemma and Clay. Abel was playing nearby after the family had just had dinner.<p>

"What do you mean?" Jax asked. No one had spoken about Marissa's outburst a few days ago and Happy had yet to say anything other than it didn't seem to do much good. She was still ignoring him and constantly staying in her room.

"As long as I've known Rissa, she has never been the type to just let shit go. She's a payback kind of woman by nature and it just strikes me as weird that she wasn't jumping at the chance to go after Anthony."

"Maybe she's scared." Clay offered while sipping from his beer.

"Maybe she thinks one of us will die if we pursue this." Jax said as he placed a hand on Tara's knee.

"I don't know." Tara said, unconvinced.

"I know you are worried about her, but Tara she is a grown woman. You can't keep driving yourself crazy trying to pinpoint her every move. I'm sure that you are just over thinking the situation."

"Or maybe she has plans of taking Anthony out herself and she doesn't want any of us to know." Tara said, finally revealing her biggest concern.

"Do you think she would be crazy enough to do that?" Jax asked.

"She came over for lunch today. She was finally starting to open up to me about that night. Come to find out, the bullet that killed Dante was meant for Rissa. She said that Anthony told her that he had ordered the hit on her before he attacked her. This man killed her former lover, almost killed her twice and killed her baby. There is no way that she is going to just let that go."

"So you think that Marissa is going to go on some suicide mission in order to gain some revenge?" Gemma asked.

"Wouldn't you? Out of everyone in this room, you and Rissa are the most alike. Tell me what you would do if you were in her shoes. Would you really let things go and move on with your life? Or would you spend every waking moment waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike?" Gemma allowed Tara's words swirl around in her head. She took a sip of her drink before turning to the two men.

"When you go to work tomorrow, bounce Tara's idea off of Happy. Just…just tell him to be on the look out in case she decides to bolt or something."

* * *

><p>Happy ran in Marissa's room the following night. He was awakened by the sound of her screaming bloody murder. When he burst in the door, Marissa was sitting on her knees; her eyes were moving wildly around the room. Happy tiptoed a little closer.<p>

"Marissa." She turned to look in his direction but it seemed like she was looking through him. He stood still and watched her face go through a series of emotions. Without warning, she burst into tears. It was worse than when Happy had found her in the shower all those months ago.

Happy quickly grabbed Marissa and pulled her into his arms. He allowed her to cry as he softly stroked her hair, trying to offer her a quiet comfort. She kept repeating her apologies over and over again and Happy wasn't sure what exactly she was apologizing for. After what seemed like forever, he felt her breathing start to even out. When he looked down, he noticed that she had fallen asleep.

He kept a tight grip on her as he pulled the blankets back and situated both of them so that they were lying down. He never once let her go. He took the time to watch her as she seemed to nuzzle as close to him as she could get. Happy finally allowed his eyes to shut, giving him the first night of good sleep in months.

The following morning, Happy awoke and bolted straight up. He looked around the room and saw the rumpled bed sheets. Happy thought that maybe Marissa had went in the kitchen for breakfast. Just as he was pulling up his jeans, he glanced at the closet. Walking closer, he noticed the frantic state it was in. Clothes were thrown everywhere and her black duffel bag was missing. Happy quickly ran out of the room and searched every room in the house but he couldn't find her anywhere. When he saw her cell phone sitting on the coffee table, he started to panic.

Happy grabbed his cell phone and hit a button. "Hey killa. What's up?" Tig sleepily replied.

"Get everyone to the clubhouse NOW." Tig was instantly awakened at the urgency in Happy's voice.

"What's going on?"

"Marissa's gone."


	29. Chapter 29

The clubhouse was filled with noise. Everyone was talking over each other and the voices were deafening. Piney pulled the gun from his waistband and shot one round towards the ceiling. The loud sound caused everyone to stop abruptly and look at the old man.

"Shut the hell up, all of you. We are all worried about baby girl but yelling and fighting with each other is not going to make us find her any quicker." Everyone slowly started to sit down. Piney nodded towards Clay to begin talking.

"Juice, what have you been able to come up with?"

"She has just disappeared. She took about nine grand out of the bank this morning and then there are no traces of her anywhere."

"Lassie probably was using the cash to avoid leaving a paper trail." Chibs offered.

"If she went to the airport and bought a ticket, we can assume that she is at least traveling within the states. If she flew overseas, she would have had to get her passport stamped and that would be on record. She didn't take her car because it was still in the parking lot and I check all the rental companies and came up with nothing."

"Okay, so we are all assuming that she went after this Anthony guy." Clay lit up a cigar. "Run his info down by me again, Juice." Juice looked over and grabbed a folder that was sitting on the side of him.

"Anthony Cerullo, 64 years old. He was originally from Benson Hurst Brooklyn. Moved to Miami in the late 70s. Married twice, has 3 children, one of whom is deceased. He owns several small businesses throughout Miami, including a shipping and packaging company which is believed to hold his various racketeering activities. He has been arrested numerous times but not one charge has been able to stick."

"Jesus, what are we supposed to do with that information? It's like we are still running blind." Jax said as he kept glancing at the door looking for Tara. She was on her way to the clubhouse after she finished up her morning surgery. Jax didn't want to worry her right before surgery, so he opted to wait until she got there before telling her about Marissa's disappearance.

"Okay everyone think. Can we remember of anything that she might have said that might give us the slightest fucking clue to where she might be?" Everyone seemed to be racking their brains but came up with nothing so Clay decided to try another tactic. "Okay, does anyone have idea on how the mob business works?"

"I've seen Godfather like 100 times." Juice winced when Tig's hand connected to the back of his head.

"How high up is he?" Juice clicked a few buttons on his laptop before answering.

"It looks like he has done some business with the Colombo family, but that seems to be the only family in America. Most of his business dealings seem to be people in Latin America and Russia." Gemma placed a cup of coffee in front of Happy who had yet to say anything. Everyone had been so wrapped in playing private eye that no one stopped to question how the bald man was doing.

"How are you holding up, baby?" Gemma asked as she stroked Happy's head. He looked up to her and cleared his throat.

"I just need to find her Gemma. I need to find her before she runs off and does something stupid."

"Do you really think that she is going to be stupid about this?" Bobby asked, having overheard Happy and Gemma's conversation, affectively causing everyone to look at the pair.

"What's one of the first rules that we learned when we became a prospect? When emotions are high, sense takes a back seat. Can't get much higher than Marissa's emotions right now."

"So basically you think that she is a woman on the verge and will put her own well being aside in order to kill this man?" Gemma asked. Before Happy could answer, Tara came running through the clubhouse still wearing her scrubs.

"Why didn't you tell me Marissa left?" Jax looked confused.

"How did you find out?" Tara shook a piece of paper in front of her lover's face.

"I came out of surgery and one of the nurses handed me an envelope. It's from Marissa." Tara jolted back as everyone stood up and demanded she read the letter. Tara glared until they all calmed down before starting to read.

_Tara,_

_I'm sure you would have heard by now that I left, especially considering how fast news travels in this town. I hope you are not too mad about me not saying goodbye, but you know just as much as I do that you would have tried to stop me and when that didn't work, you would have had someone tie me to a chair for the rest of my life. I know that you may not agree with what I am doing but deep down, Tara you know that this needs to be done and I'm the only one that can do it. He is the final ghost that I need to bury before I can fully move forward. This letter is not intended to be a goodbye. I fully expect to make it back to Charming and continue to live this crazy, beautiful life that I have. _

_However, I can not promise that I will make it back to Charming and if I don't, there are a couple of things that I need you to do. Tell my boys that I love them all and I'm grateful for their friendship. Give Chibs all of my classic novels and Juice all of my gaming consoles and games. Remind Juice often that he is NOT a retard or a moron. Tara, if something happens to me, I will need you to watch after him. He's a good kid but sometimes he needs a softer touch and he won't get that from the guys, so that is where you will come in. _

_Make sure that Opie and Tig continue to mend their friendship. Don't let them both fall into the dark place of anger because it will destroy them. Tell Tig that I love him and he is the best father that a girl could ever have. Remind him that he is a good man, despite making bad choices. Kiss Piney on the cheek often. Give Bobby my IPod and try to get him to enjoy something besides Elvis. Tell Jax that the ghosts of his past shouldn't define his future. Stop him from taking on JT's demons. Don't shut out Lyla. Keep an eye on Gemma cause we both know she will always find trouble and smile at Clay because he loves it when a woman smiles._

_Tara, you are my best friend, my sister and in many ways my soul mate. We have survived a lot of things together and while I don't hope to die, if I do, I know that you will be alright. You are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. You are an amazing woman and don't ever let anyone take away your heart. Your ability to wear your heart on the outside of your chest is one of the main reasons why our friendship worked. You were the Robin to my Batman. I love you so much and I apologize for any pain or anguish I may have caused you._

_Finally, I need to ask that you keep an eye on Happy. If something happens to me, I'm not sure if he will be alright. He has been trying Tara. He has been trying so damn hard and his insistence to be a part of my life is part of the reason why I have to do this. You already know how I feel about him so I don't have to repeat it. He is why I'm doing this. I want to be his everything and it's not fair to ask for that type of commitment if I will only be able to offer him half of me. _

_I hope to see you all soon but if I can't, I know that you will all be alright. I love you and I need you to trust in my decisions. _

_Love always,_

_Marissa_

* * *

><p><strong>Miami, Florida<strong>

Marissa woke up at the sound of the telephone ringing. She answered the phone and let the front desk clerk know that she was awake and thanked her for the wake up call. She had been in Miami for almost a week but tonight was going to prove if all her hard work was going to make an impact. She had made the phone calls; got the equipment and now all she could do was wait.

She thought about calling someone in Charming, just to let them know that she was still alive, but Marissa wasn't sure if she could. She hoped that Tara had gotten her letter and she hoped that her best friend wasn't worrying herself to death. She walked to her duffel bag wearing nothing but a wife beater and underwear. She glanced at the clock, knowing that in six hours, shit was going to hit the fan. She pulled out her pre-paid and dialed a number that she knew by memory.

"What?" The angry voice asked and Marissa couldn't help but smile.

"Hiya Tigger."

"MARISSA! What the fuck? Do you have any idea how worried we are? Where the hell are you?" Marissa could hear commotion in the background and she heard the distinct beep that signaled that Tig had put his cell on speakerphone.

"No dice, Tiggy. I am where I am. I just wanted to call and let you know that I'm alright."

"When are you coming home? Are you coming home?"

"If all goes well, I should be back within the next two days." Marissa paused for a slight moment. "How is he?"

"He's fucking worried about you; we all are. Whatever it is that you are doing, you don't need to do it alone." Marissa sighed.

"I will call someone when I get back to California."

"Marissa don't you dare hang up the phone." Marissa hit the end button and shut the phone off. She glanced at the clock and knew that there was no way she was going to be able to take a nap.

She paced as the time passed. Finally she heard her hotel phone ring and she ran to answer it. After talking to the person for a few minutes, she hung up. She dressed in all black with her ponytail pulled tightly. Marissa glanced at herself and the mirror and had to laugh at her reflection. She looked like the definition of a woman on the verge. She grabbed the necessary items and left the room.

It was about a forty-five minute drive to her destination and the entire time she could feel her hands sweating. She parked her car in a back alley and took a deep breath. She knew that this needed to be done but she hadn't had to dig into this part of herself and many years and she wasn't so sure if she was going to be able to pull it off.

She walked inside Bristol Towers and headed straight for the elevator. She hit the penthouse floor number and waited. The ride up to the 17th floor was long and Marissa was filled with apprehension. She stepped off the elevator and nodded at the door men standing outside the door. They nodded back and opened the front door for her. She walked up the spiral staircase and headed for Anthony's office door. Without any warning, she opened the door and stood there. Anthony had a look of shock on his face.

"You are getting sloppy in your old age man. Here's a bit of advice: you may want to make sure the person is actually dead before you high tail it out of town." Marissa shut the door behind her.

"So what? You thought that you would come here and do what exactly? This place is filled with people on my payroll, so whatever you think you are getting ready to do, I would seriously reconsider." Marissa simply smiled as she sat down on the opposite side of the desk.

"Almost dying had a way of putting things in perspective. It makes you see clearer, be a little more cautious. Now Anthony, do you honestly think I would walk into your home knowing that this place is crawling with bodyguards, then kill you and walk away? I should be offended by your lack of faith in me." She stood up and headed to the mini bar in the corner. She poured herself a drink and took a small sip.

"So what do you want?"

"I made a couple of phone calls. You would be amazed at the amount of people who worked for you, had a soft spot in their heart for me. There was even more people that loved Dante. That puts you in a very vulnerable place. You see, I have every intention on putting three bullets in your body and walking out of here." As soon as Marissa finished, there was a knock on the door.

"Perfect timing. Come on in." When the door opened, Anthony went pale. The dark haired woman was dressed impeccable in a tight, blood red dress and matching shoes. Her hair was flowing down her back and she had a snarl on her face.

"What's wrong, Daddy? You look like you have seen a ghost." Marissa smiled.

"Anthony, you remember your daughter Claudia don't you? You remember killing her mother in cold blood while Claudia was forced to watch? I bet you weren't aware exactly how close Claudia was to Dante. The second I told her what you did to Dante she was more than excited to help me." Marissa pulled out her gun and aimed it directly at Anthony.

"You see, this is a win-win situation. You get to die and Claudia will now take over the family business."

"She's a woman; no one will take her seriously." Anthony stated. He was trying to remain in control but the calmness in Marissa and Claudia's eyes were making him nervous.

"That's all taken care of. Do you remember Luis, Daddy? His daddy was your arms connect. Now Luis is overseeing the operation and we have been together for over three years. We had a meeting with the five families and everyone is thrilled about the Cerullo and Delgado organizations merging. The profit tends to make everyone forget the fact that I am missing a cock."

"You two have this all figured out, don't you? You really think you are going to kill me?"

"I don't think, I know. You killed Dante, you tried to kill me….and most importantly, you killed my unborn child. That's right: when you were delivering that cowardly ass whopping, I was pregnant with my child. If you think for one second I am going to let you live after all that, then you are seriously demented."

"You bitch! If you think for one minute…" POP! Marissa shot off the gun right into Anthony's shoulder.

"That one was for Claudia." POP! She aimed a shot into his other shoulder. "That was for the ass whooping you gave me." POP! She shot Anthony in the chest. "That was your son." POP! The final bullet went into the middle of Anthony's forehead. "And that was for my baby." Both woman stared and watch as Anthony died behind his office desk. Claudia turned to look at Marissa.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

"Probably better. That was more orgasmic than any form of sex I have ever had." Marissa placed the gun back in her purse.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, it's in the living room." Claudia walked out the door while Marissa pulled out her pre-paid again.

"Max..it's me. Get everyone out of the building within the next 10 minutes. I don't KNOW how to do, just get it done."

"It's been a long time since I've seen you in mafia princess mode." Marissa turned towards Claudia.

"Now I play the role of biker bitch, so I haven't ventured too far away from my normal lifestyle." Both women smiled as they got to work. They bleached everything that may have had their fingerprints on them. Claudia went to work on the safe beneath the wall as Marissa started going around various rooms pouring numerous bottle of Bacardi 151 in each room. When she walked back into the office, she noticed two stacks of money. Marissa raised an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't take Dante's money because of your love for him so I figured you hatred for Anthony will allow you to finally splurge on yourself." Marissa watched as Claudia filled the money in a duffel bag before handing it to her. They each grabbed two more bottles of liquor and poured it out from one room to another.

"I'm kinda of loving the fact that this paranoid asshole had the front door be fireproof. He is going to burn in this office and not too many people will be the wiser for a very long time." The women each grabbed their various items and headed out the front door. They were greeted by two bulky men.

"Hey Max, George. What's the verdict?"

"We knocked on every door and got rid of all the people that answered." Marissa nodded before reaching in her purse and grabbing a match. She opened the front door and threw the lit match inside. She saw the flames start almost instantly so she quickly slammed the door and turned to the three people.

"Let's get the fuck out of here."

* * *

><p>The following day Claudia and Marissa were enjoying brunch. It took many hours before the fire department showed up to the penthouse suite and found Anthony's charcoaled and mangled body. According to the news, preliminary theories were suggesting that it had been a mob hit. Claudia had a friend in the police department that was giving them updates every few hours.<p>

"So when do you leave?" Claudia asked while sipping her mimosa.

"My train leaves at 7 tonight."

"Ugh, I still can't believe that you are taking a train." Marissa raised an eyebrow.

"Considering how tight security is at airports nowadays, I'm pretty sure someone would question why I'm walking around with a duffel bag that holds two million dollars."

"Hold that thought." Claudia picked up her phone and started speaking in Italian. Marissa continued to eat her food as she relished in the peace that filled her body. She killed Anthony in cold blood and didn't feel an ounce of remorse. She turned towards Claudia when she heard her name.

"Okay, I just got off the phone with Luis. He said that you can borrow his plane to get back to California. He said that the plane if already fueled up, so when ever you are ready, I will take you to the strip." Marissa sighed as she looked out towards the water.

"I never thought I would say this but I miss Charming. I miss that Mayberry town where everyone seems to know everyone names like a constant episode of Cheers."

"Would you like me to take you now? We could be there in under an hour." Marissa shook her head.

"There is something I need to do first."


	30. Chapter 30

_A/N: Here it is: the final chapter of Nobody's Fool. It's slightly bittersweet because I enjoyed writing this fic so much. However, I am currently working on the sequel and hope to have the first chapter posted by tonight. I wanna thank you all for the sweet reviews and I hope that you all join me for the sequel._

* * *

><p>Marissa walked around the cemetery in a maxi red dress with flip flops. She was amazed that after seven years, she was still able to find the exact spot. She took a deep breath as she got closer. When she stopped, she took a moment to read the tombstone.<p>

"Hi baby." Marissa knelt down and traced the outline of Dante's name. She took a huge breath. "I did it. I don't know if this was the route that you wanted me to take but it had to be done." Marissa felt the warm breeze surround her like a blanket. It was as if Dante was standing right behind her.

"I'm going back to Charming, but more importantly I'm going back to Happy. I don't know if he is meant to be my forever, but I have to at least give it a shot. An honest shot. Dante, the reason why I'm here is to say goodbye. This doesn't mean that I will stop loving you. I believe there is a part of me that will love you for the rest of my life but I can't keep holding to a ghost who doesn't exist. Especially when I have someone that is literally standing in front of me." Marissa crossed her legs.

"I forgive him for leaving. I still don't agree with how he left, but I forgive him. And the reason why I forgive him is…because you were right, I love him. I love him so much that it physically hurts. I can't have a life that he is not apart of." Marissa cleared her throat as she looked around.

"I don't know if I am making the right choice. For all I know, I can regret this a month later, but for the first time in 7 years I am willing to try. I still don't know if there is a heaven or a hell or where you are, but if you have any clout I am going need you to use it. Watch over the ones I love, keep them safe in this world of insanity. I love you so much and I wouldn't trade one second of our lives together. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be the woman I am today. You were the first man I loved that actually loved me back." Marissa wiped away a few tears.

"I'm going to go now. Don't be surprised if I still talk to you from time to time cause I'm sure I'm going to need you. Don't ever forget that I love you." Marissa placed a kiss to his tombstone before finally leaving her past behind and heading towards her future.

* * *

><p><strong>Sometime later<strong>

"This is going to be embarrassing." Marissa groaned as she finished putting on her makeup.

"Oh suck it up. We have all had to do it, so stop bitching." Tara responded. "We gotta go, let's get a move on." Marissa looked at herself one last time in the mirror and sighed.

"Brilliant fucking idea Marissa." She remarked sarcastically to herself before walking into the clubhouse. She saw all the regulars plus a few new faces. She smiled and gave out hugs and kisses as she made her way to the bar. She nudged Jax with her shoulder.

"Hey darlin'."

"You plan on holding my hand right?" Jax smiled.

"Don't tell me you're nervous."

"I just don't think that this is the proper setting." Jax placed an arm around her shoulder.

"It's a family tradition darlin' and you are family." Marissa groaned when she heard her name being called. She turned around to see everyone standing in a circle waiting for her to join them.

"I hate you all." Marissa exclaimed as she took off her black button down shirt. She then slowly peeled off her white tank top leaving her standing there in just a bra and jeans.

"You couldn't have picked a less revealing bra, Hurricane?" Tig groaned in a fatherly tone.

"Hap couldn't have picked a less revealing place, Tigger?" She glanced over at Happy who had amusement in his eyes. He handed her a shot of Jack which she quickly took and then ran a hand over her jeans before pulling her down so that they were eye level to each other. Happy used his finger to grasp the compass necklace that he had placed back on her neck only two weeks prior.

When she had returned home from Miami, she had called Lyla to pick her up. When she walked out of the airport, there was an array of cars and bikes. You would have thought she had just been released from prison at the amount of people that showed up. She went back to the clubhouse and gave the generic version of what happened. Anthony was dead, she had simply said, not offering anymore information.

Once her and Happy had a chance to be alone, she didn't hesitate to throw herself into his arms. For once, it was Happy that wanted to take things slow. He wanted to prove to her that he wasn't going to leave and he said that sex wasn't going to fix their problems. They tried their hand at dating: dinners, movies, rides. That lasted all of five days before they ended up back in their bed with their limbs intertwined. When she had woken up the next morning, she had went in the bathroom to see that Happy had put the necklace back on her while she had been sleeping. She watched herself in the mirror and took in the pouty lips, messy bed head and naked as the day she was born. However it was her eyes that stuck out. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness and she knew that coming back to Charming was the right choice.

Happy smacked her ass pulling Marissa from her thoughts. She rolled her eyes as she stood against the pool table. She watched as Happy placed the gloves on his hand and tested out his machine needle. She gritted her teeth as she felt two hands on her shoulders as Happy leaned her body to the side.

"You ready for this?" Happy asked.

"You better have plans on kissing it and making it all better or I'm telling your mother." Happy laughed slightly as he poked the needle into her skin.

The tattoo had taken about an hour and Marissa was running out of curse words, in both English and Spanish. Everyone seemed to be getting a kick out of her reaction and she threatened body parts in between her curses. When she finally heard the needle shut off, she looked down as Happy began cleaning the excess ink off. When he slid his chair back, Marissa took it as a sign that she could go and check out his handiwork.

She walked towards the full length mirror and turned to the side. On her left rib cage sat a crow with wings that wrapped around her ribs. Underneath it said in script writing: Vaya Con Dios, which means Go With God. She stayed admiring her tat until Happy walked behind her and placed an arm around her waist while placing a kiss on her head.

"What do you think?" Marissa turned and gave Happy a lingering kiss.

"I think this means you are stuck with me for life, cowboy."


End file.
